Shoppers wait in line for a Black Friday sale at a shopping mall in Caracas. Photo: El Nacional/GDA.
On Friday, November 25, Venezuelan stores celebrated Black Friday for the fourth year and were filled with shoppers who lined up all night to buy televisions, clothes, and other products. Many are interpreting the eagerness to shop as a sign of economic growth in Venezuela in recent months.
In recent years, Black Friday, the popular day of discounts that drives consumers crazy, is no longer exclusive to the United States. Countless countries around the world have replicated the process and see a November weekend of long lines and shopping sprees in consumer goods stores.
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To the surprise of many, Venezuela is one of those countries. Numerous videos are circulating on social media, showing how Venezuelans lined up in front of stores to buy appliances at offer prices.
Multimax – Black Friday en Venezuela pic.twitter.com/W6fHrybqlB
— Eugenia (@TorrUgenia) November 25, 2022
Hundreds of people lined up in the streets of Caracas from the early hours of Friday to ensure they were among the first to enter the stores. Among the most visited stores was the MultiMax chain, which offered substantial discounts on televisions, refrigerators, music players, and other electronic goods.
In the case of some stores, lines of customers occupied entire blocks since Thursday night, waiting for the stores to open for what they had promoted as a “night sale.”
Caracas, Venezuela : Colas para ingresar a las tiendas en Caracas, mañana por el Black Friday. pic.twitter.com/eEygJPruaG
— Pedro la Rosa (@Pedrola51624238) November 25, 2022
The shoppers’ eagerness created crowds in many parts of Caracas, which is common in large US cities like New York or Miami but not in Venezuela.
Black Friday 2022 en Venezuela be like: pic.twitter.com/tr6EUmXw1q
— Arnaldo Espinoza (@Naldoxx) November 25, 2022
For many, the success of Black Friday 2022 in Venezuela is due to the country’s economic recovery despite the economic and commercial blockade imposed by the US.
Journalist Barry Cartaya posted photos and videos of a shopping mall in Caracas on social media, writing, “This is what the Sambil Shopping Mall looks like at 9:00 a.m. The stores have not opened yet, but people are already lining the aisles. This is Venezuela ‘in chaos, crisis and without guarantees.’ Nobody can deny the recovery, growth, purchasing power, commercialization, productivity.”
Así está el C.C. Sambil a las 9:00 A.M. No han abierto las tiendas pero ya las colas recorren los pasillos. Esta es la Venezuela "en caos, crisis y sin garantías". Nadie puede ocultar la recuperación, crecimiento, poder adquisitivo, comercialización, productividad. #BlackFriday pic.twitter.com/Eha1TBnXlV
— Barry Cartaya (@cartayabarry) November 25, 2022
Another social media user wondered if Venezuela did “get fixed,” referring to the recent economic recovery.
¡Repleto de gente! Así se encuentra el Multimax del Sambil de #Maracaibo previo al Black Friday que las tiendas de la ciudad y el país aplicarán en las que se ofrecen rebajas de artículos de todo tipo.
¿Será que “Venezuela se arregló”? pic.twitter.com/DeNfog09Ff
— Jonathan (@JonathanNunez19) November 25, 2022
Images on social media also showed how the stores offered several products at bargain prices.
The Venezuelan Chamber of Shopping Centers confirmed the buying spree, telling the press that sales have increased over the last four years, beginning when the largest consumer goods stores in the country first celebrated Black Friday.
(Sputnik) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
