“Black Friday in Egypt is a big scam,” says Sherif Othman, a 42-year-old novelist and owner of Concorde Decoration Company. Every year, as the month of November approaches, billboards with Black Friday announcements adorn Salah Salem street and 6 October bridge, and YouTube advertisements of unmissable discounts play before every other video. Yet, as the marketing for Black Friday discounts increases, fewer people are tempted to take advantage of them. Othman, who describes himself as a shopaholic, often shops online on platforms like Jumia and Amazon, since he does not have the luxury of time to visit multiple stores. Black Friday is a shopping tradition that originated in the US, where shops offered massive discounts on the day after Thanksgiving. In recent years, the tradition began to appear and spread in other countries, including Egypt. However, in Egypt, many claim that these discounts are usually fake. Sales or scams? A few years ago, Othman recalls that he needed to buy a power socket, months before Black Friday, and it cost EGP 245 (USD 10) on Jumia. On Black Friday, while casually scrolling on the mobile application, he saw the same…
