Prisma concluded its Black Friday campaign this Monday, and Merit Uus, head of the general merchandise category groups for the retail chain, told ERR that while undergarments and socks have traditionally been the top-selling items, this year power banks and chargers took the lead in sales.

"Smartwatches and interactive toys are becoming increasingly popular as Christmas gifts. Additionally, Lego products are consistently in high demand every year," Uus explained.

For children, shoppers are purchasing both toys designed to develop motor skills and plush toys. Uus noted that large plush toys remain popular, as do board games, art and craft kits and even scooters and bicycles.

Jana Väli, head of the marketing unit at XS Mänguasjad, described Black Friday as effectively part of the Christmas sales season.

"As experience from previous years shows, people are indeed ready to buy Christmas gifts earlier than December. Customers are accustomed to and anticipate Black Week when retailers often offer special deals, allowing them to purchase desired toys at particularly good prices," she said.

The toy store ran its campaign for an entire week, during which Lego sets sold particularly well. Other popular items included various interactive toys, such as animals, cars or robots that allow for virtual interaction. Buyers also gravitated toward products featured in advertisements, characters from cartoons and video games, and more expensive sets. According to Väli, it's clear that people are willing to spend more on fulfilling children's bigger wishes.

Additionally, Väli noted that the store also caters to teenagers and adults, with gifts such as fan merchandise and Lego sets. While these items are popular year-round, their demand spikes during the holiday season.

Readers interested in Riho Sibul and Tõnu Õnnepalu

For bookstores, December 23 has traditionally been the busiest sales day of the year, but Christmas shopping is already in full swing, with recent campaigns driving high sales volumes, according to Annika Altmäe, marketing manager at Rahva Raamat.

"On Black Friday, the most popular purchases were new books. The undisputed bestseller was Riho Sibul's biography, followed by Tõnu Õnnepalu's 'Õhtupäike väikestel majadel' and Lauri Räpp's 'Elatud eilsete ja elamate homsete vahel,'" Altmäe noted.

For children, popular choices included the winter-themed book "Roosi talv" from the Leiutajateküla series and the latest installment in Riikka Jäntti's little mouse adventures, titled "Väikese hiire sünnipäevakink."

"Many of these books will likely end up under Christmas trees, as they remain at the top of sales charts even after the shopping holidays. Anett Kontaveit's newly released biography 'Võitlejahing,' which hit shelves this week, is also sure to be a popular gift," added Altmäe.

In addition to books, Rahva Raamat sees high pre-Christmas demand for board games, Christmas decorations, kitchenware and vinyl records.

At electronics retailer Euronics, the most popular items during the campaign week included air fryers, a specific brand of wireless earbuds, microwaves and PlayStation gaming consoles.

"We sold not just dozens, but hundreds of these over the week," said Martin Soom, head of retail at Euronics. He noted that air fryers are popular year-round, but when a high-quality branded product is offered at a promotional price, it attracts significantly more buyers to the store.

Emotional spending hasn't gone anywhere

Martin Soom noted that a unique aspect of this year was the consecutive timing of Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns, which contributed to strong sales results. Both in-store and online visitor numbers were higher compared to last year. He added that shoppers were not just making purchases out of necessity but also indulging in emotional buys, which is a positive trend for retailers.

Soom highlighted an interesting trend: Euronics stores featured displays with products not typically associated with electronics, such as frying pans, coffee beans, pepper grinders and car air fresheners. Sales of these items rose significantly during the week, even though they were not part of promotional offers. He also observed that shoppers tend to prefer purchasing Christmas gifts during these campaigns.

"This pattern repeats every year," Soom confirmed. "The frenzy of last-minute Christmas shopping is decreasing, while Black Friday is gaining traction, following the American trend."

While he could not yet provide an exact average spend per customer, sales volume in terms of units was about 10 percent higher compared to November of last year and during the Black Friday campaign.

Heli Viirand, retail director at Kaubamaja, described the Black Friday campaign results as meeting expectations, considering the current economic situation. Sales surpassed last year's figures, with many shoppers already focused on buying Christmas gifts.

"The most popular items were various beauty products, such as perfumes, cosmetics and skincare and haircare items, as well as toys for children," Viirand explained. "Warmer-than-usual weather, however, negatively impacted the outerwear category, which underperformed."

She noted that it is still too early to draw conclusions about holiday-season shopping behavior, but some clear bestsellers have already emerged. For instance, the KitchenAid special edition stand mixer for this year is already sold out.

In the beauty category, top gift ideas include perfume, makeup and body care sets, while jewelry remains a classic Christmas gift. In home goods, Viirand highlighted an exclusive collection of kitchenware as a standout success.

Price sensitivity lessens for Christmas shopping

Retailers report that while price sensitivity among consumers has increased, people are still willing to spend more during the holiday season.

"When it comes to Christmas gifts, people are less price-sensitive than in other areas. If they have planned to buy something, they will go ahead with the purchase," said Merit Uus from supermarket chain Prisma.

She noted that certain products are traditionally awaited until discount campaigns, particularly Iittala tableware and items from the Arabia Moomin series, which are always popular during the Christmas season.

An Euronics representative observed that while the average purchase amount has decreased compared to previous years, customers are opting for slightly less expensive items. Martin Soom provided an example: if a €1,000 washing machine breaks, customers are more likely to replace it with a simpler €500 model.

However, Soom also noted a recent trend of people starting to buy slightly more expensive and higher-quality products. The retail chain expects the peak period for Christmas shopping to still be ahead.

"Typically, the busiest time is five days before Christmas Eve, depending on how the dates fall. From December 19 to 22, shopping centers are packed with people, while December 23 to 25 is reserved for family time. However, December weekends are always crowded regardless," Soom added.

Jana Väli from XS Mänguasjad also highlighted that while consumers are more price-conscious, they are still willing to purchase higher-priced items, especially to fulfill children's Christmas wishes.

"The availability of a desired toy in a store or online is important, but this year, special offers and overall discount campaigns are key factors influencing where people choose to shop," said Väli.

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