Black Friday Statistics and Trends for 2025

Black Friday is fast approaching, and you can’t plan to win it without first understanding what happened last year. That’s why you should read through this article – it breaks down key insights from 2024’s data.

Here’s what you’ll discover:

1. Overall sales and growth
2. Consumer behavior and shopping trends
3. Top product categories and bestsellers
4. Device usage: Mobile vs. Desktop
5. Geographic highlights and regional trends
6. Notable performance metrics and insights

Whether you’re optimizing your next campaign or evaluating results, these Black Friday statistics will help you make smarter, data-driven decisions for 2025. Let’s dive in.

1. Overall sales and growth

Global total sales revenue

Worldwide, total sales revenue for Black Friday reached approximately $74.4 billion (all channels combined), marking about a 5% increase over 2023. (Source: Salesforce)

Total sales revenue in the U.S

• 2024 was notably the first Black Friday ever to surpass $10 billion in U.S. online revenue.
• Combined retail sales on Black Friday were about $20 billion, up 5.8% YoY (roughly $10.8B in online purchases and an estimated $9.2B in physical store sales).
• U.S. online spending jumped by about $1 billion versus 2023’s Black Friday. For context, Americans spent more than double online on Black Friday 2024 than they did in 2017 (when online BF sales were ~$5 billion).

Key takeaway

• Invest in scalability, not just traffic. Peak demand keeps rising each year, so stable infrastructure and fast fulfillment now define success.
• Shift marketing budgets toward digital-first campaigns because online revenue is expanding faster than offline, signaling where ROI truly lies.

2. Consumer behavior and shopping trends

Number of participants in the U.S.

Black Friday 2024 saw huge consumer participation. In the U.S., it remained the most popular single shopping day of the year both online and offline:

• Around 87.3 million Americans shopped online, down slightly from 90.6 million in 2023.
• 81.7 million visited stores – the highest in-store turnout since before the pandemic.
• Over the full Thanksgiving weekend, 197 million U.S. consumers shopped, just below 2023’s record.

Shoppers’ interest in discounts and special deals

Shoppers waited specifically for Black Friday promotions, making it the most strategic shopping moment of the year.

• 66% of carts had a promo or discount applied.
• Average global discount: ~27% off (28% in the U.S.) (Source: NIQ’s Black Friday by the numbers)
• Credit card tracking showed holiday spending declined year over year in early November (down 1.4% YoY in the first 13 days of November) as consumers delayed purchases. (Source: Earnest’s Holiday Spending Report)
• In a Shopify holiday survey, 27% of U.S. consumers said they would wait for the major sales events (e.g. Black Friday) to begin buying gifts, taking time to compare prices across retailers.
• A Salesforce study similarly found 45% of global shoppers were “waiting to make purchases until Cyber Week” (late November) to get the best bargains.

Use of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) payment options

Another notable trend was the increased use of BNPL financing for holiday purchases, especially among younger consumers:

• BNPL usage was up 8.8% YoY, totaling $686 million of online spending on Black Friday.
• Adobe Analytics data showed the average BNPL order was about $189 – roughly 33% higher than orders using traditional payment methods.
• Nearly half (≈48%) of U.S. BNPL users are under age 36 – a far greater share than older age groups.

Omnichannel shopping

The growing omnichannel behavior highlights the importance of a seamless, consistent experience across mobile, web, and physical stores.

• 63% of holiday shoppers used both online and in-store channels.
• 126M customers shopped in stores, and 124M shopped online during Thanksgiving weekend.
• In 2024, only a small minority of customers shop exclusively online (around 7%) or only in stores (~20%), illustrating how common it is to mix channels.

Key takeaway

• Align promotions across both online and in-store channels. Use unified pricing, QR codes, and store pickup incentives to merge digital and physical experiences.
• Build pre-Black Friday hype and tease deals early. Use countdowns, wishlists, and “early access” events to capture interest before the sale starts.
• Offer flexible payment methods like BNPL or installments to boost conversions, especially for higher-value items.
• Sync inventory, pricing, and loyalty programs across touchpoints so customers can research online, buy in-store, or vice versa without friction.
• Time your biggest offers strategically — peak discount windows matter more than long sales periods.

3. Top product categories and bestsellers

Certain product categories dominated Black Friday 2024 sales, reflecting consumer priorities and deal-seeking in popular segments.

Electronics and Gadgets

Consumer electronics were among the top-grossing categories globally, as usual for Black Friday.

• U.S. online electronics sales hit $30.1 billion for the season (up ~10.6% year-over-year), the single largest share of any category.
• Electronics were heavily discounted, with Cyber Week deals averaging 25–30% off.

Apparel and Accessories

Clothing and fashion items also ranked at the top of shopping lists with impressive growth.

• In the U.S., apparel ranked as the #2 e-commerce category by revenue for the season – accounting for about $24.6 billion in online sales (approximately 9.5% growth year-over-year)
• Retailers offered substantial markdowns on apparel (often 20–30% off or more), making it an attractive category for bargain-hunters.

Toys and Gaming

Sales of toys, games, and hobby items saw explosive growth, a clear sign that many shoppers were securing holiday gifts for children (and themselves).

• Toy sales surged 622% online (vs. a typical October day) – a massive surge, and one of the highest upticks of any category.
• Retailers had aggressively promoted toys with steep discounts (toy prices down about 27–28% on average) and many hot items sold out quickly due to demand.

Jewelry and Luxury Goods

Jewelry was another star category of Black Friday 2024:

• Jewelry sales jumped 561% online (vs. a typical day in October).
• Some of the steepest Black Friday discounts were in the accessories category. For example, diamond earrings averaged ~23% off and rings ~22% off – among the highest markdowns of any product type.

Key takeaway

• Promote tech early and bundle accessories or warranties to raise margins in this high-competition category.
• Refresh visuals and product descriptions weekly during Black Week, and highlight limited-time fashion drops to create urgency.
• Plan early holiday gifting campaigns. Secure inventory and promote gift guides for parents and collectors before Black Friday weekend.
• Emphasize exclusivity and limited-stock messaging. Use video and lifestyle visuals to elevate perceived value, not just price.

4. Device usage: Mobile vs. Desktop

More people than ever used smartphones to browse and buy Black Friday deals, yet conversion rates and order values differed between mobile and PC users.

Mobile commerce

Mobile continued to dominate both traffic and sales.

• Mobile devices (primarily smartphones) accounted for ~70% of all online sales worldwide over the Cyber Week period (including Black Friday), up from about 67% in 2023.
• More than 80% of e-commerce website traffic during the Black Friday weekend came from mobile devices (phones or tablets).
• In the U.S., 55% of Black Friday online sales were made via mobile devices (around $5.9B of the $10.8B total), an increase of ~12% in mobile spending vs. last year. So, mobile online sales grew faster than overall online spending.

Desktop shopping

Though mobile generates more traffic, it is desktops that still outperform mobile for big purchases and conversions.

• In the U.S., desktop shoppers converted at about a 6.5% rate, versus roughly 3.2–3.3% on mobile.
• Basket sizes on desktop are 47% larger than on mobile.
• Desktop users bought around 3.6 items per order on Black Friday, compared to ~2.9 items per order via smartphone.

Key takeaway

• Design your campaigns mobile-first, from landing pages and ads to checkout flows. Test speed, visuals, and tap-friendly layouts early.
• Prioritize mobile-exclusive deals or app push notifications to capture impulse buyers during peak hours.
• Use retargeting and personalized emails to bring mobile browsers back on desktop to complete higher-value purchases.
• Add smart upsell prompts and “frequently bought together” recommendations to mobile checkout pages to raise AOV.

5. Geographic highlights and regional trends

United States

The U.S. remains the epicenter of Black Friday activity, and 2024 was no exception. American consumers once again spent more than any other country.

• U.S. shoppers racked up ~$10.8 billion in online spending on Black Friday (Salesforce estimate), which is about 14% of the global online total for that day.
• U.S. shoppers’ average order values rose ~3% in 2024 vs. Black Friday 2023, indicating people were willing to spend slightly more per purchase (helped perhaps by free shipping thresholds and bigger one-time buys).
• Online sales drove most of the gains (+10.2% YoY) while in-store sales saw only modest growth (~0.7% YoY).

Online Sales in the U.S. have increased over the years.

Europe

Online transactions in Europe were up ~10% YoY on Black Friday 2024. However, total online spending in Europe was about 4% lower than Black Friday 2023.

This contradictory result (more orders but less money spent) revealed that high inflation and economic uncertainties in 2024 made Europeans more price-sensitive, leading them to opt for lower-priced goods and smaller baskets on average.

United Kingdom: Black Friday 2024 drove record online spend.

• UK shoppers shelling out £3.63 billion online (+5.2% YoY).
• On Black Friday, £1.12 billion was spent online (+7.2% YoY).
• In-store and online transactions combined rose 9.5% over 2023.
• Participation was strong, with ~1 in 3 Britons planning to shop.

Germany: German consumers placed more orders but spent less per transaction:

• Online transactions rose ~10% YoY while total spend fell ~4%.
• Black Friday drove modest in-store recovery, with foot traffic and offline sales up ~6%.
• About 83% of Germans shopped during “Black Week“, with fashion and electronics the top categories.

France: French shoppers saw high participation, but spent cautiously on Black Friday due to tighter budgets:

• Black Friday 2024 saw 80% of French consumers participate – a record high.
• Online order volumes rose 11%, but overall online spend declined ~4%, showing tighter budgets.
• In-store sales rebounded with a 14% jump in purchase volumes.
• Average spend per person was ~€388, down from €416 in 2023.
• Apparel (45%) and beauty (28%) led category purchases, with home appliances also strong.

Italy: Shoppers focused on fewer, higher-value tech and home purchases.

• Italian consumers spent an estimated €4 billion during Black Friday 2024, with 65% via e-commerce.
• Physical store sales grew +7.2% YoY; online sales rose just 1.1%.
• About 85% of Italians planned to participate, spending ~€270 on average.
• Electronics (60%) and home goods (51%) were top categories. Smartphones, laptops, and small appliances led tech buys.

Spain: Black Friday saw high turnout, with most shoppers buying via mobile:

• Spanish online sales during Black Friday rose ~4% YoY, with Cyber Week digital sales up 12%.
• About 70–80% of Spaniards participated, spending ~€238 on average.
• Spanish shoppers favored mobile (69%+ of orders), and installment payments were popular.

Asia-Pacific

Japan: Shoppers waited to make a few large purchases on Black Friday, rather than many small orders.

• The number of online transactions was flat (0% change YoY) on Black Friday in Japan, yet total spend and average order value climbed by roughly 12%.
• About 35% of Japanese retailers saw their sales jump 20% or more on Black Friday 2024, a slight increase in retailer participation vs. last year.

New Zealand: Many more checkouts, albeit for smaller basket sizes, keeping total sales flat.

• Kiwis embraced Black Friday 2024 with NZ$175.6 million spent from Friday through Sunday, roughly on par with 2023’s spend.
• Transaction volumes ticked up (+2.8% YoY) but shoppers were thriftier per purchase – the average transaction value fell ~2.8% to about NZ$83.50.
• More than half of New Zealanders (51%) planned to shop Black Friday deals in 2024 – a huge rise from 35% in 2023
• About 48% shoppers said they’d use Black Friday to afford essential household items, and 51% to buy Christmas gifts on sale.
• Technology and electronics were the most sought-after deals (with 38% of consumers targeting tech devices or gadgets), followed by Apparel/Fashion (35%), and then by home appliances (25%).

South Korea: Black Friday in Korea is a hybrid – a government-promoted local sale bonanza coupled with fervent consumer participation in global online bargain-hunting.

• South Korea has fully embraced Black Friday through the government-backed “Korea Sale Festa”. In 2024 this nationwide sale festival (Nov. 9–30) featured 2,600 companies – the largest ever participation, exceeding the 2,316 firms in 2023.
• Koreans directly purchased about ₩1 trillion (≈$870 million) of goods from U.S. online retailers in 2024, up from ~₩800 billion in 2023.

India: Black Friday 2024 served as a post-Diwali e-commerce boost.

• GMV up 24% YoY and total order volumes increasing ~17–18% from 2023.
• Higher average order values were driven by premium electronics and wearable tech, with AOV spikes of over 200% in some categories.
• Beauty and personal care orders surged 34%, home décor rose 40%, and fashion grew ~20%.

Latin America and other regions

Canada: Canadians turned out strongly for Black Friday 2024:

• National spending up 11% YoY and Cyber Monday sales rising another 10%.
• In-store transactions grew ~4%, while e-commerce sales revenue rose 31% compared to 2023.
• Electronics were the top category (bought by 55% of shoppers), followed by home appliances (25%) and furniture (18%).
• Online sales accounted for nearly 30% of all Black Friday purchases, and Afterpay usage jumped 23% YoY.

Brazil: Black Friday 2024 broke records.

• R$9.4 billion was spent online (+10.7% YoY), and 18.2 million orders were placed (+14% YoY).
• Pix processed 239.9M transactions, more than any day in Brazil’s history.
• Physical stores surged (+17.1% YoY), benefiting from bonus salary timing.
• Consumers were price-sensitive, many sought 50%+ discounts.
• Installment payments were widespread, and satisfaction levels reached 87%.

Africa (South Africa): Black Friday is now a digital-first, week-long event that outperforms most other retail periods on the continent.

• 29% increase in transaction value compared to the previous week, and an 18% rise in in-store spending YoY.
• Online purchases soared up 130% over a typical Friday and platforms like PayU saw Black Friday sales surge 83% YoY across SA, Nigeria, and Kenya.

Middle East (GCC focus): Localized branding (e.g. White/Yellow Friday) and mobile-optimized e-commerce drove the biggest online shopping event of the year.

• Sales revenue across MENA grew 40% YoY, with order volumes up 19%.
• AOV rose from $30 to $36, especially in luxury categories and gifting items.
• UAE and Saudi Arabia led the region, with 60%+ of purchases made on mobile devices.

Key takeaway

• United States: Prioritize e-commerce optimization over in-store promotions. Boost conversion by refining checkout, site speed, and remarketing.
• Europe: Offer smaller bundles, flexible payments, and loyalty rewards to appeal to value-driven shoppers.
• United Kingdom: Blend online and in-store strategies – click-and-collect and hybrid promotions work best here.
• Germany & France: Emphasize discounts on essentials and build campaigns around affordability and trust.
• Italy & Spain: Highlight tech and home categories, optimize mobile experience, and support BNPL or installment options.
• Asia-Pacific: Target premium segments and tech-savvy buyers. Localize content and leverage government-backed or cultural sale events.
• Latin America: Localize payment methods (Pix, Afterpay) and offer deeper discounts – price sensitivity is high but trust is growing.
• Africa & Middle East: Double down on mobile-first design and mobile payment options. Promote early to capture regional sale windows (e.g., “White Friday”).

6. Notable performance metrics and insights

Peak Online Spending Rate

Black Friday’s scale is perhaps best illustrated by the incredible peak spending moments recorded.

• In the U.S., online spending peaked between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM (local time) on Black Friday, during which consumers spent about $11.3 million per minute online, on average. This mid-day surge was the busiest online shopping period ever observed for Black Friday.
• Shopify reported that 12:01 PM Eastern Time on Black Friday was its all-time peak moment, with sales reaching $4.6 million per minute on Shopify’s platform at that time.

Conversion and Checkout

Conversion performance improved slightly year over year as shoppers were more decisive during Black Friday 2024.

• Desktop conversion rate: ~6.5%
• Mobile conversion rate: ~3.3%
• Retailers using AI chatbots or virtual assistants saw ~9% higher conversions than those without them.
• Cart abandonment: remained high at 73–78%, consistent with typical e-commerce levels.

Average Order Values (AOV) and Discounts

As discussed in the preceding sections:

• U.S. AOV up ~3% and Europe AOV down ~4%.
• The average discount rate on Black Friday was around 26% off list price worldwide (about 28% off in the U.S.), which is roughly on par with 2023 (actually just ~1% lower than last year’s average).
• Over 50% of all Black Friday purchases in 2024 were influenced by sales or special promotions.

Retailer and Platform Milestones

A number of e-commerce platforms hit record milestones during Black Friday 2024, most notably:

Amazon:

• More than 60% of Amazon’s holiday sales came from third-party sellers (mostly small businesses) – a record high share for marketplace sellers.
• Though Amazon didn’t release dollar figures, they did highlight some best-selling categories and items: in the U.S., electronics, toys, and beauty were among the top categories, with Alexa-enabled gadgets (Echo Dots, Fire TV Sticks), Beats headphones, Samsung TVs, Barbie dolls, Play-Doh sets, Shark home appliances, and Medicube skincare devices listed as popular sellers.

Shopify:

• Shopify reported that its merchants collectively rang up $11.5 billion in global sales over the Black Friday–Cyber Monday weekend, a 24% increase from the prior year.
• Over 76 million consumers worldwide made purchases from Shopify-powered brands during that weekend.
• More than 67,000 Shopify merchants had their best sales day ever on Black Friday.

In terms of specific retailer milestones:

• Target reported one of its busiest Black Fridays ever in 2024, with online sales exceeding $500 million – a record high for the company.
• Retailers largely deemed Black Friday 2024 a success; in fact, demand was so strong that 33% of shoppers reported being unable to find some items due to stockouts of popular products.
• Walmart Marketplace saw a record-breaking Black Friday 2024, achieving its highest sales day ever with a significant increase in toys and electronics sales.

Website Traffic and Operational Performance

The sheer volume of traffic during Black Friday 2024 was extraordinary, but all of the major e-commerce sites reported 99–100% uptime:

• Shopify alone processed 1.19 trillion requests and 10.5 trillion database queries over the Black Friday weekend, at one point handling 12 terabytes of data, equating to 284M requests per minute on Black Friday.
• Many retailers deployed virtual waiting room queues for their hottest deals, with one provider reporting 63.6 million visitors passing through online waiting rooms on Black Friday 2024.
• Logistics networks faced immediate post-Black Friday pressure as shipping volumes spiked – late deliveries jumped ~70% versus normal weeks and average delivery times stretched to about 6 days.

However, logistics networks faced immediate post-Black Friday pressure as shipping volumes spiked – late deliveries jumped ~70% versus normal weeks and average delivery times stretched to about 6 days.

Key takeaway

• Prepare for heavy traffic between 10 AM–2 PM. Stress-test your site, payment gateway, and inventory systems before the rush.
• Streamline your mobile checkout experience – simplify forms, enable one-tap payments, and ensure fast load times.
• Add AI shopping assistants or chatbots to guide and reassure customers in real time.
• Use exit-intent popups, cart recovery emails, and flexible payment options like BNPL to reclaim lost sales.
• Focus on clear value messaging and smart bundles, not just deep discounts – to preserve margins while boosting conversions.
• Confirm fulfillment capacity, communicate delivery timelines clearly, and plan early with carriers.
• Communicate delivery timelines clearly and coordinate with logistics early to handle fulfillment pressure.

Conclusion

From record-breaking mobile sales to the rise of flexible payments and AI-powered conversions, this year’s results weren’t just about volume – they were about evolution. As consumer behavior continues to shift, one thing is clear: brands that prioritize seamless, data-informed experiences across every channel will keep winning, not just on Black Friday but all year long.

Frequently asked questions

How much discount do shoppers get on Black Friday?

Average global discounts hovered around 25–28% off, similar to 2023. Apparel and beauty saw the steepest markdowns (up to 40% off), while electronics and luxury goods were discounted more moderately at 15–25%.

What percentage of Black Friday sales came from mobile devices?

About 70% of online purchases during Black Friday 2024 were made on mobile devices, continuing the shift toward mobile commerce. However, desktop still converted nearly twice as well, with conversion rates around 6.5% versus 3.3% on mobile.

Which regions saw the biggest Black Friday growth?

The U.S. led with strong online growth (+10% YoY), while Europe saw more transactions but smaller basket sizes due to inflation. Asia-Pacific markets like Japan and Australia experienced double-digit growth in average spend, and Latin America showed the fastest adoption, with online payments surging up to 70% YoY.

How do Black Friday sales compare to Cyber Monday?

While Cyber Monday slightly surpassed Black Friday in total U.S. online revenue, Black Friday recorded faster growth and stronger in-store participation. It remains the single biggest day of the year for omnichannel sales globally.

How can retailers prepare for Black Friday 2025?

Focus on mobile optimization, personalized promotions, and real-time analytics. Shoppers now expect seamless cross-device experiences, flexible payment options, and faster delivery – all of which can significantly increase conversions next year.

Alexandre Le Content Specialist

“I'm Alexandre Le - a marketer with 5+ years of hands-on experience in the eCommerce industry. I want to use my expertise and personal perspectives to produce insightful blog posts that help online store owners to launch, run, and scale up their businesses successfully.”