The discount event Black Friday
Black Friday (the fourth Friday in November) is the most pivotal event in online retail. According to a survey by Germany’s HDE Retailers’ Association in 2021, just over half of the merchants were dissatisfied with sales during the Black Friday week, while about 30% were satisfied. HDE expects retail sales to total beyond 120 billion euros in November and December, down 4% in real terms from the year-earlier period.
In a 2018 survey on awareness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday in Germany, 94% of respondents indicated they were already familiar with the promotional event.
For e-commerce merchants of all sizes, this translates to a significant uptick in online traffic on Black Friday and substantial revenue generation potential. Here, you’ll find all the crucial information for e-commerce merchants, including support for VAT compliance in cross-border trade.
The story of Black Friday
What is Black Friday, and why are other shopping event days so important, especially for e-commerce businesses?
The wordmark “Black Friday” – the legal situation
On 29 June 2023, the German Federal Supreme Court (BGH) dismissed the appeal against the non-admission of the appeal of the trademark proprietor of the disputed trademark “Black Friday”. This makes the cancellation judgement of the Kammergericht legally binding, and the trademark must be removed from the German Patent and Trademark Office register.
BlackFriday.de, which had taken action against registering the word mark, welcomes the ruling after more than six years of litigation. The trademark had repeatedly caused problems for the portal and many retailers and partners, as the trademark owner had been issuing warnings to companies that used the term in their advertising since 2016.
However, the legal dispute continues elsewhere. In January 2023, the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court ruled in favour of BlackFriday.de that the trademark owner had to compensate for damages. Since the appeal was allowed, the BGH is also dealing with this case.
The most popular product groups in Germany on Black Friday
Black Friday sales and Cyber Weekend have gone from strength to strength. New sales records are expected again this year. But which products are bought most frequently online on Black Friday? We look closer at the top sellers and advise on what to watch for regarding VAT.
10 tips for e-commerce merchants to prepare for Black Friday
For e-commerce retailers, Black Friday is an essential indicator for Christmas business. Please find out how to prepare for the mega sales days in our info article.
The Black Friday checklist for e-commerce sellers
Get the free guide with over 30 tips for online merchants for a successful Black Friday Sale.
Online retailers must be able to cope with the flood of returns after Black Friday
Returns are annoying for customers and retailers alike. There are several processing options for online sellers to choose from.
Black Friday and Co. – The most famous special sales days in the world
Besides Black Friday, there are numerous other high-volume shopping holidays in the e-commerce world.
Do you also sell your products cross-border in the EU and Great Britain on Black Friday?
On 1 July 2021, the VAT liability for merchants in the cross-border sale of goods changed as a result of the entry into force of the VAT digital package. Find out about the lowered thresholds for turnover and other changes in B2C distance selling here.
