Black Friday is one of the most significant shopping events in the USA and worldwide.
Millions of people spend billions of dollars during the BF (Black Friday) season. If you’re a business or marketer looking for the latest Black Friday statistics, this post is exclusively for you.
In this post, you’ll discover;
- Latest stats about Black Friday
- Exciting Black Friday Trends & Facts
- Important Black Friday data and much more
Are you ready? Let’s jump into the details.
Table of Contents ☰
35+ Latest Black Friday Statistics [A Handpicked List]
1. How big was Black Friday in 2023?
Black Friday generated a whopping $9.8 billion in U.S. online sales, up 7.5% from a year ago, and Cyber Monday sales increased by 9.6% to $12.4 billion in 2023. (Stat Source: Adobe Analytics; Image Source: Fmaingret.com)
Here’s a breakdown of revenue during special days;
- Cyber Monday: $12.4 billion
- Thanksgiving: $5.6 billion
- Small Business Saturday: $4.8 billion
2. How much do consumers spend during the Black Friday season?
According to NRF (National Retail Federation) data, consumers spent an average of $390 on holiday-related purchases during the Black Friday week.
3. What are the most popular Black Friday categories?
According to the NRF research, clothing and accessories is the most popular category (bought by 50% of those surveyed).
Here are the following few popular Black Friday categories.
- Toys (31%)
- Gift cards (27%)
- Books/video games/other media (24%)
- Food and candy (23%)
- Electronics (23%)
Here are the popular categories among women;
- Clothing and apparel (66%)
- Toys (52%)
- Electronics (49%)
4. Do people plan in advance for Black Friday shopping?
Yes, 59% of women and 48% of men shoppers planned their Black Friday shopping in advance, as the best deals start as early as 5 AM.
5. What were the total online retail sales in the US during the BF season?
Salesforce Inc. reported that U.S. Black Friday online retail sales totalled $16.4 billion and $70.9 billion globally. That’s almost a 10% increase year over year. Salesforce estimated that over 1.5 billion global shoppers spent money during the Black Friday season in 2023.
Salesforce also mentioned that the average discount rate on online retail sales in the U.S. was 27%.
Black Friday eCommerce Stats
Are you a marketer? Are you running an online store? Here are some of the essential BF shopping data you should know.
1. What is the average cart abandonment rate online during the Black Friday season?
On average, 77.74% of online carts were abandoned on Black Friday itself (November 26th), according to Statista. This is higher than the average online cart abandonment rate of around 69%.
2. Do email subject lines matter for Black Friday online conversions?
Dot Digital data shows that using the phrases ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ in your subject lines leads to higher engagement, with a 64.1% increase in CTR in emails with ‘Black Friday’ or ‘Cyber Monday’ in the subject line vs. those without.
3. What are the top-selling products during Black Friday?
Here are the best-selling products during the Black Friday week in 2023; (Source: Amazon)
- PlayStation 5 Console Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Bundle
- Apple AirPods (2nd Generation)
- Apple AirTag 4 Pack
- Beats Studio3 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote
4. How many average orders were placed during the Black Friday season?
According to Adobe Analytics, on average, Black Friday itself (November 24th, 2023) saw an estimated 109 million online orders placed in the US and average order value (AOV) has increased by 3.2% .
5. Which device converts better during Black Friday?
Adobe Holiday Shopping data reveals that the conversion rate is higher on desktop (5.6%) compared to mobile (3.3%)
6. What percentage of Black Friday sales come from mobiles?
Adobe reports that mobile shopping comprised 59% of online sales on Black Friday in 2023 (compared to 55% in 2022).
7. Which categories offer the BIGGEST discounts?
Major categories like electronics, sporting goods, toys, and appliances saw substantial online discounts to entice consumers.
8. What percentage of discounts are given to consumers during the BF season?
According to Adobe Analytics report, consumers found great deals in electronics, where discounts peaked at 31% in 2023.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the discount consumers got during the sale;
- Computers at 24% discount
- Televisions at 19% off
- Apparel at 23% off
- Sporting goods at 15% off
9. What electric items sold out more during the BF season?
Airpods sold out the most during the holiday season, according to Adobe.
Here are some of the top-selling electronics during the season;
- Hot Wheels
- Mario Kart toys
- Xbox Series X
- PlayStation 5
- Nintendo Switch
- Spiderman 2
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
10. What are the demographics of most Black Friday shoppers?
77% of Black Friday shoppers were women, and 63% were aged between 35 and 54.
Finder.com reports that 71% of women plan to hunt for exclusive deals on Black Friday.
Black Friday Sales Statistics
This section includes the important BF sales stats.
1. How many people shop online during Black Friday?
During the last Black Friday season i.e. in 2023, over 90.6 million people shopped online during Black Friday, compared to 76.2 million who shopped in-store.
2. Who purchases the most during Black Friday: male or female?
Female shoppers (73%) are more likely to shop online for Black Friday than males (65%). (Drive Research)
3. What factors influence the buyers during the Black Friday season?
Free shipping was the most significant factor (431%) influencing buyer decision-making.
It is followed by fast delivery (25%) and customer reviews (24%). (Source: Tidio)
4. What is the average discount that shoppers receive on Black Friday?
The average discount that shoppers usually get during the Black Friday season is 37%.
5. Does social media play a role in Black Friday sales?
Yes, definitely. According to the Kaspersky report, 58% of social media users said they attempt to get whichever special deals their favourite online bloggers recommend.
Facts & Trends on Black Friday
Looking for the latest Black Friday trends and facts? This section is just for you.
1. Do millennials prefer online shopping or in-store shopping?
91% of millennials/Gen Y/Gen Z say they will do their Black Friday shopping online instead of in-store.
2. What are the most popular places to shop in person on Black Friday?
Walmart and Target will be the most popular places to shop in person on Black Friday.
Here’s the breakdown of in-person market share during BF;
- Walmart (62%)
- Target (58%)
- Shopping malls or centers (34%)
According to Drive Research, Walmart (66%), Target (67%), and shopping malls (38%) are where people will shop more in person on Black Friday.
3. At what time do most people shop during the BF season?
10 out of 40 people will start shopping in person on Friday (Black Friday) between 5 AM and 10 AM.
31% of shoppers will start their Black Friday shopping a day before, i.e., Thursday.
4. What do most shoppers purchase during the Black Friday week?
Clothing, electronics, and toys will be the biggest purchases during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
In-person Black Friday shoppers breakdown;
- Clothes (82%)
- Electronics (73%)
- Toys (53%)
Online Black Friday shoppers breakdown;
- Clothes (74%)
- Electronics (70%)
- Toys (45%)
5. What are the top reasons for people NOT to purchase anything on Black Friday?
Huge crowds (58%) are why most people won’t shop during BF season. Here are a few more reasons;
- Not liking shopping (20%)
- Not interested in buying anything (19%)
- Not wanting to spend money (13%)
- Not finding any good deals (12%)
6. Do emails promoting extra discounts work during the BF sale?
Black Friday messages promoting a “$ off” offer generated a 10.4% open rate and a 14.8% conversion rate. (Source: Data Axle)
Data Axle also reports that Black Friday campaigns have an average 12% open rate, a 1.3% unique click rate, an 11% click-to-open rate, and an 8.8% conversion rate.
7. Where do people look for the best deals: online or offline?
According to Drive Research, 2.5 times more people will shop online for Black Friday deals than those shopping in person. It means 68% of people shopped online for Black Friday in 2023.
8. What is the forecast for holiday sales in 2024?
According to eMarketer, holiday retail sales in the US will reach 2.7% to over $1 trillion, with eCommerce climbing 11.3% to over $207 billion.
Interesting Black Friday Shoppers Stats
Here are some of the exciting data on Black Friday shoppers.
1. What are the statistics for Shopify Black Friday?
Shopify merchants broke Black Friday records with $9.3 billion in sales (compared to $3.36 billion in sales in 2022).
Shopify officially revealed that merchants on Shopify saw sales of $4.2 million per minute (during peak times).
The top-selling countries on Shopify are the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and the average cart price is $108.12. Top selling countries: U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, and Germany.
2. What percentage of retail sales happen during the Black Friday week?
Approximately 13.2% of all retail sales in the United States happen between Black Friday and Christmas season. The interesting fact is that 43% of BF sales happened through smartphones.
3. What are some interesting BF email stats?
Here are some email stats on Black Friday marketing campaigns:
69% of people shop online during Black Friday and only 32% shop in person. Over 74% of all online traffic on Black Friday comes from mobile devices. The email engagement rates increased during Black Friday compared to the rest of the year.
4. Do BF shoppers look for deals and discounts?
Yes, 88% of Black Friday shoppers always look for deals before buying a product.
5. Who shops the most on Black Friday?
Zippia reveals that adults aged 35 to 44 shop the most on Black Friday week, with an average spend of $430.
FAQs | Black Friday Stats 2024
Here are some of the commonly asked questions about Black Friday numbers.
Black Friday is often considered the start of the holiday shopping season in the USA.
Black Friday is celebrated the day after Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday of November. Most businesses and online retailers offer Black Friday deals from the first week of November until the first week of December.
Black Friday is a big shopping event in the US and worldwide, where most businesses offer hefty discounts on various items, including electronics, games, clothes, toys, etc.
Yes, it does. Nearly 75% of shoppers check the return policy before ordering through eCommerce sites. If your return policy is terrible, 22% of shoppers will abandon their purchase.
Yes. 88% of shoppers compare discounts before buying a product on Black Friday.
Black Friday sales reached $9.8 billion in 2023 and most people spent an average of $390 during the Black Friday season.
Most people use their desktops (55.12%) compared to mobile (44.88%) for Black Friday shopping online.
Related Resources:
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- 30+ Eye-Opening Affiliate Marketing Statistics
- 35 Blogging Statistics for 2024 Including Trends
Final thoughts on Black Friday sales numbers
Hands down, Black Friday is the BIGGEST shopping event in the US and worldwide.
The above Black Friday sales numbers reveal that Black Friday is a HUGE event for most shoppers (offline and online), with billions of dollars spent each year.
So what do you think about Black Friday shoppers? Did you find this data helpful? Have any questions? Let us know in the comments.