Bluecore’s 2025 Black Friday Cyber Monday Benchmarks

Department stores showed stable performance among known customers this Black Friday. Their 27.45% identification rate outpaced the industry average, and AOV inched up 0.43% YoY, signaling steady spend among engaged shoppers even as overall AOV surged elsewhere. Loyalty remained a clear advantage: repeat purchase rates rose 6.2%, and enterprise retailers saw 61.44% of sales come from repeat buyers, far above the 46.58% benchmark. This strong contribution from returning customers underscores the enduring value of long-standing relationships within the vertical.

While performance among known customers was strong, department stores continued to face pressure at the top of the funnel. Site traffic fell 4.35% YoY, in contrast to a 14.82% increase industry-wide. Newly identified shoppers also converted below average, with just 0.63% purchasing on Black Friday. These trends point to a need to expand reach and accelerate acquisition. Strengthening traffic growth, improving first-visit identification, and re-engaging lapsed shoppers would help grow the pool of potential buyers. With loyalty already a core strength, widening the funnel represents the biggest opportunity to drive incremental lift.

Footwear retailers showed strong performance among known shoppers this Black Friday. Their 27.92% identification rate exceeded the industry average, and 1.52% of newly identified shoppers converted, outperforming the 1.1% benchmark. Loyalty was a standout: repeat purchase rates surged 18.56% YoY, more than double the cross-vertical increase. Even though repeat buyers made up a smaller share of enterprise and mid-market sales, the significant lift in repeat rate signals that once footwear shoppers re-engage, they convert at high intent. 

Despite strong momentum within identified and repeat customer groups, footwear trailed the broader market in AOV, increasing just 6.15% compared with a 22.6% industry lift. Site traffic also grew slightly below average (12.36% vs. 14.82%), suggesting untapped acquisition potential. Because footwear brands convert known shoppers exceptionally well, particularly newly identified and re-engaged buyers, expanding the top of the funnel remains the biggest opportunity. Improving identification across entry points, enhancing first-visit capture, and deepening retention programs can help footwear retailers translate healthy traffic and loyalty gains into even stronger revenue growth.

Health & beauty retailers saw exceptional top-of-funnel momentum this Black Friday, with site traffic surging 39.63% YoY, far above the 14.82% industry average. Order volume also grew 6.12%, closely aligned with the broader benchmark. Loyalty continues to be a defining strength for the category: repeat purchase rates rose 15.55%, more than double the cross-vertical increase, and enterprise retailers saw 54.99% of sales come from repeat buyers. These signals reinforce the category’s strong base of returning customers and its ability to drive meaningful value from existing relationships.

Despite strong traffic and loyalty performance, Health & Beauty underperformed on two key levers: identification and spend. The category’s 20.81% identification rate trailed the 25% average, and newly identified shoppers converted at 0.76%, below the 1.11% benchmark, suggesting early customer activation remains an untapped opportunity. AOV also declined 3.13%, in contrast to a 22.6% increase overall, highlighting room to strengthen bundling, replenishment, and higher-value product discovery. With traffic at all-time highs and repeat purchasing accelerating, improving identification across entry points and enhancing early lifecycle messaging can help capture more value from both new and returning shoppers. This is the biggest lever to turn substantial awareness into sustained revenue growth.

Home retailers benefited from strong top-of-funnel momentum this Black Friday. Site traffic increased 19.11% YoY, outpacing the 14.82% industry average, and the category delivered standout value per order: AOV surged 55.82%, more than double the overall lift. Identification (21.32%) and newly identified conversion (0.74%) tracked close to benchmarks, reinforcing that Home performs steadily once shoppers enter the funnel. Together, these signals highlight the vertical’s ability to drive meaningful revenue from shoppers who do engage.

Despite strong traffic and exceptional AOV growth, Home retailers faced challenges deeper in the funnel. Order volume declined 10.54% YoY, contrasting with a 6.74% increase overall, indicating missed conversion potential. Repeat purchase rates rose only 1.72%, below the 7% benchmark, and repeat buyers accounted for a smaller share of sales across both enterprise (27.33%) and mid-market (17.96%) retailers. Improving early lifecycle activation, strengthening replenishment and cross-category retention programs, and increasing identification across high-intent pages represent the biggest opportunities to convert strong traffic into sustained revenue and loyalty.

Jewelry and accessories retailers saw strong top-of-funnel momentum this Black Friday, with site traffic up 31.53% YoY, more than double the 14.82% industry average. The category also demonstrated solid activation among known shoppers: 1.11% of newly identified customers purchased, in line with the broader benchmark. Loyalty remained a standout advantage, with repeat purchase rates climbing 25.62% YoY, far outpacing the cross-vertical increase. This surge highlights the deep affinity returning shoppers have for the category, especially given the higher consideration nature of many jewelry and accessories purchases.

Despite strong engagement and exceptional growth in repeat behavior, the category faced challenges deeper in the funnel. AOV declined 7.46% YoY, contrasting sharply with the 22.6% increase overall, suggesting potential pressure on assortment or promotional strategy. Order volume also dipped 0.72%, while the broader market rose 6.74%, indicating missed conversion opportunities despite elevated traffic. Additionally, repeat buyers represented a smaller share of total purchases across both enterprise (27.39%) and mid-market (13.94%) retailers relative to other verticals. Strengthening post-purchase engagement, loyalty programs, and early-lifecycle activation can help translate surging interest and repeat potential into higher conversion and a larger overall share of sales.

The luxury vertical comprises a combination of department stores, and footwear and jewelry & accessories retailers. We omitted luxury from the vertical comparisons in order to avoid counting these brands twice. Instead, we looked at how luxury retailers compared against the overall averages which are denoted as general market retailers.

Luxury retailers saw healthy engagement this Black Friday, with site traffic up 11.82% YoY and AOV rising 2.13%, signaling steady demand for premium products. Loyalty was a bright spot, repeat purchase rates jumped 21.87%, far outpacing the broader market. Still, customer progression remains a key opportunity. Identification (24.24%) and newly identified conversion (0.5%) trailed benchmarks, and order volume grew just 0.41%. With repeat buyers making up a smaller share of total sales, luxury brands can benefit from strengthening early-lifecycle activation and deepening post-purchase engagement to better convert traffic into long-term value.

Sports & hobbies retailers benefit from niche, high-intent audiences, and this year’s Black Friday data reinforced that edge. AOV surged 75.41% YoY, the highest of any vertical, and 1.21% of newly identified shoppers purchased, outperforming the 1.1% average. Order volume also climbed 22.73%, far above the 6.74% cross-vertical lift. With repeat buyers driving 86.9% of enterprise sales and 23.32% of mid-market sales, the category continues to be powered by passionate enthusiasts who return when the right products and moments align.

Despite strong buyer intent and exceptional order value growth, identification remains a gap. The vertical’s 23.73% ID rate trailed the 25% benchmark, and repeat purchase rates declined 4.97% YoY, bucking the industry’s upward trend. These signals point to room to strengthen acquisition and re-engagement programs. By improving identification across entry points and deepening lifecycle activation, sports & hobbies retailers can better capitalize on high-intent visitors and build a larger, more consistently active customer base.