Roughly four in five Dutch consumers do not delay purchases until Black Friday, according to research by comparison site Overstappen.nl. The study shows that the minority who do wait tend to postpone one‑off buys such as electronics and household appliances, while ongoing contracts like internet and mobile subscriptions are seldom deferred despite potential long‑term savings.

Most Dutch shoppers won’t time purchases to Black Friday

Overstappen.nl’s data indicates that about 80% of consumers do not postpone any purchases until Black Friday (27 November). Those who do wait are concentrated in a small set of categories: electronics, home appliances and fashion. Subscriptions for internet and mobile services are postponed by only 2.5% of respondents.

Electronics lead the categories that are postponed

• Televisions, laptops and smartphones: 14% wait until Black Friday
• Household appliances: 9.3%
• Clothing and accessories: 4.5%
• Cosmetics and beauty products: 3%
• Toys: 3%
• Internet and mobile subscriptions: 2.5%
• Furniture and interior items: 2%

Younger consumers postpone purchases more often

The tendency to delay buying for Black Friday is strongly age‑dependent. Half of 18–34‑year‑olds postpone at least one purchase until the sales day, compared with 26% of 35–54‑year‑olds and 10% of those aged 55 and over. The gap is particularly large for electronics: 40% of 18–34‑year‑olds wait for discounts on TVs, laptops or phones, versus 6% of 55‑plus consumers.

One‑off discounts vs monthly savings

Overstappen.nl points out that consumers who wait typically target one‑time purchases, while offers on subscriptions can produce a monthly saving over time. The comparison site’s calculations from last year illustrate the difference: for an internet and TV package with 100 Mbit/s the annual saving during Black Friday amounted to €314, and for 1 Gbit/s the saving was €393.60 per year.

Check the total contract cost, not just the introductory price

Telecom expert Fleur de Ligt warns consumers to consider the full cost of a contract when signing up during a sale. “Promotional prices often apply only for the first six or twelve months, after which the contract continues at the standard rate. The price over the full contract period ultimately determines what you pay, not the temporary discounted months. Keep that in mind when you sign up,” she says.

Overstappen.nl is an online comparison site that helps consumers compare energy, insurance and telecom offers. The company says its tools enable people to identify better deals and save money by switching providers.

Source: Original press release