Who shops during Black Friday?
When you think of some of the busiest shopping times of the year, the day after Thanksgiving may often come to mind. Sometimes, this celebration of shopping begins even before the turkey is out of the oven. And the pies are cooled. The Friday after Thanksgiving known as Black Friday is a shopping milestone for retailers large and small. Now with the popular shopping trends of browsing and making purchases online, getting in on the exclusive deals of this shopping day is even easier. With the deals to be found on Black Friday, the shopping opportunities can be for all. Here are some interesting stats about who participates in Black Friday shopping.
In 2023, 114.2 million people shopped on Black Friday
Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Not only does it bring in extensive revenue for retailers, but it also brings crowds and crowds of people out of their homes or on their computers to make some purchases. The National Retail Federation reported that around 114.2 million people went out to shop on Black Friday in 2023. That’s an increase from 2022 when only 99 million people participated in Black Friday shopping. And as shopping has increased, sales and deals have overflowed into Thanksgiving day, also bringing in crowds of people.
Men (88%) and women (85%) alike participate in Black Friday shopping
While women may be known to do more shopping normally, Black Friday deals draw both genders in. In fact, 88% of men and 85% of women say that they venture out to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday (Finder). They are also likely to spend similar amounts, with men spending slightly more than women. Men budget an average of $436 to spend while women only budget $378 to spend on shopping during this time.
53% of millennials participate in Black Friday
While all generations like to find a good deal, Millennials are expected to spend the most and participate the most in this holiday shopping day. They take the lead with the number of shoppers with 53% indicating they’ll join in the pre-holiday shopping sales. Millennials also have claimed to wait until this shopping time to make their purchase, as 5% of waited upto a year to get the best Black Friday deal. Other generations are also getting in on the deals as well. Gen Xers also get their deals, as about 50% are expected to participate, while only 27% plan on shopping exclusive Black Friday deals.
Top shoppers are in the east side of the country
While Black Friday deals can be found across the country, some states may draw in more shoppers than others. States with the highest percentages of those shopping on the day after Thanksgiving include Georgia at 52%, Wisconsin at 51%, Illinois at 50% and Virgina at 48%.
Stores hire over a half-million seasonal workers for the busy holiday shopping season
To help keep shelves stocked and lines moving along, retailers often hire seasonal workers for the holidays, often starting around the Black Friday kickoff. The National Retail Federation noted that in 2019, between 530,000 and 590,000 workers to meet the increased sales and product demands. In 2018, the number of additional seasonal workers added was 554,000.
The Shift Online for Black Friday Deals
Like shopping trends in general, Black Friday deals have gone digital. Here are some stats about the impact that online shopping has had on this shopping day.
93.2 million people shopped online on Black Friday
A day that was once filled with crowds having access to exclusive deals only in-store for a limited time has expanded to include online deals that are sometimes just as good as what you can find in-store. As more people shop online, Black Friday also grew in online sales as well. In fact, 93.2 million people were reported to shop online, which is an increase from 2018 when only 65.2 million people made purchases online on the same day.
54.9% of online sales on Black Friday came through Amazon
Established as an eCommerce powerhouse, Amazon saw strong sales on this significant shopping day in 2019. Other contenders in online retailers included sites like Shopify, Walmart and Best Buy.
55% of consumers prefer shopping online but 44% still go in stores for doorbuster deals
With the increase of online shopping capabilities, it’s no surprise it’s increasing in popularity across shopping timelines. Yet people still remain spread out over where they actually spend their shopping money. 55% of consumers planned to shop online for the kickoff to the holiday shopping season. But also, 44% of people said they would be taking a trip to discount stores and 28% of consumers would visit department stores to get access to exclusive discounts.
Omnichannel retailers see higher average order values: $82 more vs. online only and $49 more vs. in-store
Shoppers who were able to access shopping abilities in more than one way, or omnichannel shoppers, tend to spend more than those who only shopped online or in-store. These shoppers tended to spend $82 more than those who only shopped online and $49 more than shoppers who chose to shop only in-store.
Cyber Monday sales have surpassed Black Friday shopping by close to $2 billion
With the strong appeal of online shopping, it’s not surprising that the shopping landmark, what’s been coined as Cyber Monday, has transitioned into one of the more popular shopping days of the year as well. For eCommerce brands and other digitally-focused brands, that can mean great opportunities. In 2019, $9.4 billion was generated in revenue while Black Friday only saw a $7.5 billion generated.
What Do People Buy on Black Friday?
While those on your gift list vary from others, there are some common industries and products that tend to see better discounts during this time than others. Here’s some stats you may want to know when you plan out your purchases.
Black Friday deals don’t mean the best discounts on everything
As retailers grow their online presence and follow sales forecasts and schedules, they’ve needed to continually seek opportunities to reach sales goals for both the early start to the shopping season, up until the new year. Products tend to have the best deals at different times throughout the season. Products that are known to have valuable deals worth taking a look on Black Friday include TVs, appliances and jewelry. Other products may have better prices before or after this major shopping day. For example, electronic deals are often the best toward the end of December.
Deals on Thanksgiving have best online sales for certain items
While not everyone wants to actually head to a retail store during Thanksgiving day, that doesn’t prevent them from making their purchases online. In fact, while electronic deals tend to be better on Black Friday, discounts on things like sporting goods or video games may be better the day before. Of course, these deals vary based on retailer and region.
Appliances, electronics, clothing and sporting goods see the highest discounts on Black Friday
Some products are more often purchased on this day than others. In 2019, items that were purchased most often include things like appliances, electronics, clothing and sporting goods. When it comes down to amount spend on these industries, electronics and appliances were not surprisingly the highest. The average transaction on those products was about $214 while sporting goods saw an average transaction of $101 and apparel and clothing had an average transaction of $81 made during Black Friday deals.
Apparel is a common Black Friday find with an average discount of 35-40%
When you think of items to pick up as you shop, apparel for yourself or for gifts may often come to mind. Many retailers offer impressive deals both in-store and online. On average, apparel is offered at a sale discount between 35% – 40%.
Office supplies can see discounts up to 50%
When shoppers are looking out for electronics and clothing, it’s also worth checking out tech-related office supplies. Items like flash drives, printers and other common office essentials can be up to a 50% discount on this popular shopping day.
Luxury brands are getting in on the deals for Black Friday
While luxury brands aren’t known for offering steep discounts and impressive sales, they have started to get in on the appeal of Black Friday deals. For example, about 25% of handbags that were sold online saw a 40-50% discount on their brands.
How Much Do People Spend on Black Friday?
Some choose to do all their shopping during this time at once. Others prefer to just spend a little bit and wait out for hopeful additional savings. Here are some stats about the dollar value shoppers bring through this shopping date.
The average savings amount shoppers find on Black Friday is 37%
This shopping day is unique in that different discounts are often offered at different times of the day. There are rewards for those early-bird shoppers who get up early and hit the stores in-person or complete their cart order by a certain time. These discount amounts may decrease as the day goes on. Discounts also vary based on the date, aside from the day after Thanksgiving. There can be impressive discounts starting as early as November on some products.
Adult shoppers are expected to spend $400 during their Black Friday shopping trip
For those who venture out, the average American is predicted to spend $400 during the shopping holiday. It’s also expected that Americans spend an average of $1,300 over the course of the whole holiday shopping season.
The holiday shopping weekend between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday account for 20% of all holiday online shopping
Whether you choose to shop in-store or online, the timeframe between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) plays a big part in the overall success of the holiday shopping season. In fact, 20% of sales for the holiday season are made during that four-day span. That’s a lot of stocking up on presents and decor.
Sales on Black Friday reached $7.4 billion in 2019
People who shop on Black Friday bring their wallets and mobile payment options with them. In 2019, this spending powerhouse day saw an all-time high of $7.4 billion in sales from retailers. While that amount varies across industries and sizes of retailers, that’s a sales amount that’s not easily overlooked.
52% of shoppers regret a purchase after a spending spree
Whether you call it an impulse buy or coerced into making the purchase by clever marketing, there may be times where you regret a purchase. During top holiday shopping days like Black Friday, that remorse is even more common. About 52% of people have a purchase they regret making. It’s not a cheap move, either. The average amount spent on the regretful transaction was about $965. It also turns out that men are slightly more likely to regret a purchase than women. In terms of generations, those in the Gen X generation have the highest level of regret for purchases compared to Baby Boomers and Millennials.
How do people shop on Black Friday?
While we know that online shopping is grown in popularity, how do people actually complete their transactions? Here are some stats about the method shoppers take in getting instant access to those deals in high demand.
39% of sales on Black Friday in 2019 were made through a smartphone
Smartphones have transformed the way people shop, including on such an important retail day as Black Friday. With instant access to add something to a cart and complete a purchase, smartphones have made it that much easier to participate in the exclusive opportunities of the day. For online retailers, smartphones accounted for 61% of their website traffic. The online shopping platform Shopify also saw major action from mobile devices as 69% of their transactions were through a mobile device.
Desktop sales accounted for 59% of online purchases on Black Friday
From November to December in 2019, desktop users had high conversion rates for sales. SaleCycle notes that while desktop users only accounted for 37% of overall website traffic, it contributed to 59% of purchases made online. While online shopping has increasingly gone mobile, the power of a computer isn’t something to be quickly overlooked. In addition to smartphone usage, tablets are also used to shop. For 2019, eCommerce sites found 5% of their traffic came through tablets with 5% of sales attributed to tablets.
People still like to shop in-store: 25% of shoppers will travel 15+ miles for a deal
Despite the appeal of online shopping, people still enjoy the shopping experience of heading out into brick-and-mortar stores. In fact, 25% of shoppers were willing to travel more than 15 miles in order to shop in-store. This also shows in the fact that in 2019, sales for brick-and-mortar stores were up 4.2% of the previous year.
Use of chatbots for online shoppers grew 16% for online retailers on Black Friday
Especially during the busy holiday shopping season, connecting with customers is key. Apps and chatbot services have seen impressive growth over the past years as more people are going mobile. In fact, from 2018-2019, there was a 16% increase in first-time users for retail apps. These apps can be highly beneficial in finding deals and track your purchases or sales through. Engaging with chatbots can also be an easy way to answer questions, Using resources like chatbots and apps can easily improve a customer’s experience and increase the likelihood that they’ll be a repeat customer.
Black Friday is critical for both physical and digital retailers
This shopping hallmark day comes with deals and savings opportunities some look forward to all year long. And with a day that often brings families together, these shopping ventures often include people of all ages. It kicks off the holiday shopping season and does so with numerical strength and profitability. For retailers large and small, Black Friday — or the following day, Small Business Saturday — this season of sales often makes a big difference in their overall profitability. Businesses extend store hours, hire additional employees, and brace for the early morning rush. While the feel and sales timeline of the traditional Black Friday craze has adjusted due to stores opening at different times and, of course, online shopping, it remains as one of the most important shopping days of the year.