Romanians are increasingly looking to purchase higher-value items on Black Friday, with larger budgets allocated for this, a survey by digital payments processor PayU Romania found.
The average budget planned for this year’s shopping event stands at approximately RON 1,200 (about EUR 228), up from RON 1,120 in 2025. Meanwhile, 36% of consumers plan on buying more expensive products, compared to 29% in a similar survey conducted last year.
At the same time, 67% of Romanians have used artificial intelligence at least occasionally to search for or compare products and deals, but only three in ten would feel comfortable delegating the payment to a virtual agent.
The survey, conducted in October 2026 among a sample of 1,005 respondents, showed interest in Black Friday remains high, with 72% of Romanians planning to shop online during the event. Purchase intentions are higher among people aged 20 to 29 (79%) and 30 to 39 (76%), as well as among those with monthly incomes of more than RON 8,000 (78%).
Price remains the main factor influencing Black Friday purchasing decisions. Half of the consumers planning to shop during this period (50%) say they are looking to find the best deals and lowest prices of the year. Meanwhile, 51% mention the final price of a product, while 44% point to the size of the discount as factors influencing their decisions. The data also points to a pragmatic approach to shopping: 34% of consumers use the event to buy products they had already planned to purchase, while 33% want to take advantage of discounts to buy holiday gifts.
Although the average budget planned for Black Friday 2026 stands at approximately RON 1,200, spending intentions vary depending on income. People with monthly incomes of more than RON 8,000 expect to spend over RON 1,500, more than twice as much as those earning less than RON 3,000 per month, who plan to spend just over RON 700.
The most sought-after product categories are IT&C, fashion and accessories, and beauty and health. The IT&C products, including phones, laptops, gadgets, and small household appliances, are on the shopping lists of 48% of respondents, followed by fashion and accessories (45%) and beauty and health products (43%).
Online card payments remain the preferred option for Black Friday shopping this year, chosen by 48% of respondents, a similar share to that recorded in 2025.
In contrast, cash on delivery is losing ground, with its share falling to 23% in 2026, from 28% in 2025, according to PayU data collected during the same period last year. Digital wallets are gaining slightly in popularity, rising from 7% to 8%, while buy now, pay later (BNPL) services are doubling their share, from 2% to 4%.
Online card instalments are preferred by 8% of respondents. Another 2% opt for online instalments through online credit, while 2% have not yet decided which payment method they will use.
The preference for online card payments rises to 58% among people with monthly incomes of more than RON 8,000, compared to 35% among those earning less than RON 3,000. Digital wallets are more popular among younger consumers: 12% of respondents aged 20 to 29 prefer this payment method, compared to 8% across the entire sample.
Furthermore, 67% of respondents have used AI tools at least occasionally to search for or compare products. Adoption is higher among younger consumers aged 20 to 29, 42% of whom frequently use AI to research products and deals.
More than half of respondents (51%) say they have a high or very high level of trust in an AI assistant recommending products or services during Black Friday. The share rises to 60% among consumers aged 20 to 29.
However, willingness to delegate payments is considerably lower: only three in ten respondents would feel comfortable allowing an AI agent to make a payment on their behalf.
The survey Consumer Behavior and Attitudes Towards Black Friday was conducted by Reveal Marketing Research in October 2026, among a representative sample of 1,005 respondents.
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