Survey reveals that the American custom has strong appeal for shops and consumers in Italy.

Four out of five Italians say they are interested in making a purchase in this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, a new survey reveals.

The average estimated spend of Italian customers will be €232 per consumer, a jump of about 20 per cent from last year's €194, according to research carried out by PwC and reported by Il Sole 24 Ore.

Almost a third of those surveyed said they planned to take advantage of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales to purchase up to half of their Christmas gifts.

The data reflects a growing trend in recent years and suggests that Italy has widely embraced the American custom of shopping at hugely-discounted prices the day after Thanksgiving.

This year Black Friday takes place on 24 November, followed three days later by Cyber Monday, a day dedicated to discounts in the technology sector.

The post-Christmas sales in all regions of Italy begin on 5 January 2024, with the exception of Sicily where the saldi kick off on 2 January.

The winter sales generally last about six weeks however the time period varies from region to region.