Dacia UK closes online store in Black Friday snub

Dacia has temporarily closed its online sales platform – including the car configurator – as it pushes back against "marketing gimmick" Black Friday.

The move is intended to highlight the value for money offered by the Romanian brand all year around, rather than on just one day.

“At Dacia, Black Friday is just a normal Friday,” said UK brand director Luke Broad. He added: “This is a way to put our money where our mouth is.

"Black Friday can easily lead consumers to overspend on products they don’t need, which isn’t what Dacia is about.”

Dacia will also air radio adverts that will play “relaxing sounds” to contrast the barrage of typical fast-talking advertisements.

A survey of some 2000 UK car buyers conducted by the brand found that 70% believed Black Friday to be a “marketing gimmick”.

Dacia offers some of the most affordable cars on sale in the UK: the Sandero hatchback starts at £13,795, the Duster SUV at £17,295 and the Jogger seven-seat MPV at £18,295.

It for a long time held the honour of selling the cheapest car in the UK with the Sandero, which was launched in 2013 at just £5995, but recent price hikes mean the Kia Picanto now undercuts it, at £13,665.

Next year, the Dacia Spring will arrive in the UK, likely becoming the cheapest full-size electric car on the market at less than £20,000.