Monday, 24 November 2025
Czech retail has entered its strongest trading period of the year with the start of Black Week, culminating in Black Friday on 28 November. According to CBRE, which manages a large portfolio of shopping and retail centres across the Czech Republic and tracks performance through its Shopping Centre Index, November promotions together with the Advent period form a critical phase for both offline and online retail.
CBRE notes that Singles’ Day, a fast-growing event in the Czech market, is increasingly extending the pre-Christmas demand cycle. The combination of earlier discounting, longer promotional campaigns and strengthening omnichannel behaviour is contributing to higher overall market activity. Retailers expect stronger turnover year-on-year, supported by wider product ranges and more coordinated campaigns.
The autumn trading calendar has now evolved into a clear sequence. Singles’ Day serves as the first demand trigger, affecting mainly fashion, beauty and small electronics, and is still driven primarily by online channels. This is followed by Black Week and Black Friday, which deliver the broadest discounts and the highest weekly traffic across both online and brick-and-mortar retail. The subsequent Advent weekends shift consumer attention from heavy discounting to gift shopping, winter assortments and experiential offerings in shopping centres.
Performance expectations vary by segment. Fashion retailers continue to see Black Friday gaining influence, while Advent remains stronger for Christmas and party collections. Footwear sales typically peak during Black Friday rather than Advent. Electronics retailers rely heavily on Black Friday to drive sales, but December often delivers greater turnover due to a shift in product mix. Beauty retailers report their strongest sales in December, with volumes significantly above standard months. Nutrition and supplements benefit from extended Black Friday and Advent campaigns, while the online share of Black Friday continues to expand across most categories.
Shopping centre footfall reflects this phased dynamic. Singles’ Day acts as the first signal of increased activity, though still more visible online. Visitor numbers rise markedly from the start of Black Week, peaking on Black Friday when major centres typically record double-digit increases compared with average Fridays. Footfall growth then continues into December, with the last Advent week remaining the high point of the season.
CBRE expects this year’s Christmas traffic to be broadly in line with 2024. The company notes a slight improvement in customer sentiment in the second half of the year, supported by rising real household incomes. December traditionally accounts for around 9–11% of total annual shopping centre traffic, with the final days before Christmas now representing the most intense period—a shift from pre-pandemic patterns, when the third Advent week usually dominated.
