Nearly half of Portuguese plan Black Friday or Cyber Monday purchases

Nearly half of consumers in Portugal are planning to make purchases during this year’s Black Friday or Cyber Monday promotions, according to a new survey conducted by tech giant Google.

The Google Consumer Survey found that 44% of Portuguese respondents intend to shop during one of the major promotional periods later this year, while 56% said they expect to use YouTube as part of their decision-making process.

YouTube, which is owned by Google, has become an increasingly important tool for consumers researching products before making purchases, with users turning to the video-sharing platform to discover new products, compare prices and watch reviews.

According to the survey, 15% of respondents use YouTube to discover new products, while 14% rely on it for price comparisons and 13% consult reviews before deciding what to buy.

The survey found that shopping intentions remain heavily concentrated around major promotional events. Black Friday was identified as the most popular shopping period by 36% of respondents, followed by seasonal sales (27%), Christmas (17%), Prime Day (5%) and Cyber Monday (5%).

Only 7% said they preferred to make purchases outside major discount periods.

More than a third of consumers (35%) said they intend to wait and see which products are discounted before making purchases, suggesting many buying decisions will be influenced by pricing and promotional offers, the study says.

However, 34% said they plan to take a more strategic approach by preparing their purchases in advance.

Joana Bastos dos Santos, head of sales at Google Portugal, said changes in online search driven by artificial intelligence are transforming how consumers discover and compare products.

“With the evolution of search engines, driven by AI, product discovery and comparison journeys have become more visual, complex and interactive,” she said. “The distance between discovery and decision-making is also becoming shorter.”

She added that businesses need to adapt to these changes by ensuring product information is easy to find and understand.

“To capitalise on this moment, companies should optimise their digital presence for the new demands of search, focusing on providing clear product descriptions, easy-to-find reviews and taking advantage of automation and AI tools in their campaigns,” she said.

In terms of spending expectations, more than half of respondents expect to spend between €100 and €300 during the upcoming promotional season. The survey also found that 36% plan to spend up to €100, 27% expect to spend up to €300 and 19% anticipate spending as much as €500.

The so-called “Peak Season” for retail traditionally begins with online shopping promotions in late October and continues through events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Prime Day, Christmas sales and winter discounts.

However, according to the survey, online product searches and purchase planning increasingly begin much earlier, with consumer interest already building from the start of October.

The Google Consumer Survey was conducted on April 26 and included 25,609 respondents in Portugal.

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.