The devaluation of the bolivar marked the day of Black Friday in Venezuelawhere businesses offered discounts of up to 70%, seeking to attract buyers eager to weather the economic crisis.
In one of the busiest shopping centers in Caracas – traditionally packed on this date, but today with fewer customers –most stores offered discounts from 10% to 70% on their products.
Leonel Montoya, who bought a television at a discount, told EFE that “there is not much change” with respect to the usual prices, “but it is worth it” to take advantage of the promotions.
Margaret Padilla, another of the buyers, agreed with her opinion about the prices, after shopping at a clothing store.
“These pants I’m wearing cost me $49 a couple of months ago, and I just saw them for $89.”he stated.
In some stores, EFE found products with original prices lower than the discount.
Venezuelans on Black Friday complain about price increases
So far in 2025, the bolivar has devalued 78.8% compared to the dollar, whose official price began the year at 52.02 bolivars and closed this Friday at 245.66 bolivars, which represents an increase of 372.2%.
“Everything has gone up, the dollar is higher every day, food costs are much higher,” Alida Pérez told EFE, after buying clothes and shoes at the shopping center.
According to her, she was not able to take advantage of all the promotions because her salary as a worker at a public university is charged in bolivars.
“If I paid (the purchases) in dollars they gave more discounts than if I paid in bolivars,” he explained.
The official currency of Venezuela is the bolivar, however, the US dollar is used as a reference to set prices for goods and services.
The official exchange rate is set by the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV). However, there is a parallel market, which has caused products to have different prices according to the currency used for purchase.
In a tour of three appliance chains, it was found that the promotions were different depending on the currency. If paid in cash dollars, additional discounts were offered.
“There are discounts if you pay in full foreign currency,” Herminia Salazar, who bought, through a platform that offers installment financing and in bolivars, a television in a store in eastern Caracas, told EFE.
She commented that if she bought with cash, the television would cost “about a hundred dollars” less, but she receives her salary in bolivars, so she had to use the national currency.
Premieres among priorities
For her part, Keisly Villarreal took advantage of Black Friday to purchase “the new December clothes” for her daughter.
However, he considered that this year in many stores there were not as many offers.
In his opinion, “we must look for alternatives” for income given the economic situation.
“If we are going to wait for the salary, we are in a bad way,” he said. For this reason, she stated, she works as a manicurist to compensate for her salary as a teacher.
In Maracaibo, capital of the Zulia state, the offers began on Thursday night, when greater shopping movement was seen in the stores.
During this Friday, in a tour of two shopping centers in the city, there was less Black Friday advertising and fewer buyers than in other years.
