251 million shopper events. 146 brands. 8 verticals. 21 charts.
While retail marketers were in the trenches during the busiest time of year, our team of retail strategists was digging into the data. We analyzed billions of orders, sales, and shopper events in order to understand industry trends and how top retailers moved their customers through the lifecycle on Black Friday.
Read on for our findings and resources you can use in your reporting meetings.
Industry Wide Insights
You can’t engage a shopper without first knowing who they are. Since last year, we’ve seen an overall increase in identification rates, though identification remains a major opportunity across the board. The average retailer was able to identify just 29% of their Black Friday shoppers.
Black Friday has become more of a state of mind than a shopping day, with sales starting in October. Whether they were shopping earlier or holding out for bigger discounts, customers ordered — and spent — less than they did last year.
Repeat purchases are the lifeblood of retail and we saw them increase by 2.3% YoY, with a major difference between enterprise and mid-market retailers. Enterprise brands are investing far more in retention strategies amidst rising acquisition costs, with 51% of their Black Friday sales coming from repeat buyers.
Holiday shopping can be a frenzy and the top performing campaigns, both email and site, capitalized on high purchase intent. However, welcome emails also had strong conversion rates, which point to retailers capitalizing on early engagement.
You can’t engage a shopper without first knowing who they are. Since last year, we’ve seen an overall increase in identification rates, though identification remains a major opportunity across the board. The average retailer was able to identify just 29% of their Black Friday shoppers.
Black Friday has become more of a state of mind than a shopping day, with sales starting in October. Whether they were shopping earlier or holding out for bigger discounts, customers ordered — and spent — less than they did last year.
Repeat purchases are the lifeblood of retail and we saw them increase by 2.3% YoY, with a major difference between enterprise and mid-market retailers. Enterprise brands are investing far more in retention strategies amidst rising acquisition costs, with 51% of their Black Friday sales coming from repeat buyers.
Holiday shopping can be a frenzy and the top performing campaigns, both email and site, capitalized on high purchase intent. However, welcome emails also had strong conversion rates, which point to retailers capitalizing on early engagement.
Black Friday Vertical Performance
Our Methodology
Bluecore analyzed the following data from Black Friday 2024, collected from 52 million first-party cookies, 251 million shopper events, 3.7 million orders, and $504 million in total sales across 146 retail brands.
Of these 146 brands, 54 are classified as enterprise (those with at least 250,000 unique customers on Black Friday), while the remaining 92 are considered mid-market.
Black Friday UTC timeframe: 7:00 PM EST Thursday, November 28, 2024, through 7:00 PM EST Friday, November 29, 2024.
Site Traffic Comparison: Black Friday 2023 vs. 2024
Site traffic was measured as the median year-over-year (YOY) change in session volume for all businesses within each industry. A session is defined as a continuous duration of onsite activity, ending only after 30 minutes of inactivity.
Shopper Identification Breakdown
We calculated the percentage of on-site cookies on Black Friday 2024 that fell into the following categories:
- Identified: Cookies associated with an email address before Black Friday.
- Newly Identified: Cookies associated with an email address for the first time on November 29, 2024.
- Unidentified: Cookies not associated with any email address.
Changes in Average Order Value and Total Orders
We calculated the total order volume and average order value (AOV = revenue ÷ orders) for Black Friday shoppers on November 29, 2024, and compared it to November 24, 2023. Industry AOV changes were calculated as the median year-over-year (YOY) change in AOV for all businesses within each industry.
Breakdown of Buyer Types on Black Friday 2024
- New Buyers: Made their first purchase with the brand between November 28, 2023, and November 29, 2024.
- Reactivated Buyers: Had previously purchased with the brand but had been inactive for at least 12 months prior to November 28 2023, and were reactivated in the 12 months prior to November 29 2024.
- Active Buyers: Had at least 1 purchase in the 12 months prior to November 28, 2023
We also calculated the percentage of repeat buyers (those with a history of purchasing with the brand before) compared to new buyers (those buying for the first time). This comparison was analyzed for Black Friday 2024 and compared to 2023. Repeat buyer rate is defined as total count of repeat buyers / total buyers.
Recent First-Time Buyers: Those who made their first purchase with a brand on or after November 1, 2024, and placed an order on Black Friday.
Recently Identified Who Bought: Those who were identified for the first time on or after November 1, 2024, and placed an order on Black Friday.
Apparel retailers were able to identify an average of 36% of their shoppers — significantly above the 29% average. Because you can’t move a customer through the lifecycle without knowing who they are, these brands’ identification rates set a strong foundation for Black Friday sales. Apparel brands also saw among the highest increase in repeat purchases, which highlights the value of identification.
While apparel retailers excelled at customer movement — moving customers through the lifecycle to create a more active base — they lagged at one stage of the lifecycle: acquisition. Because those costs are up, many brands invested more in retention strategies. For apparel retailers, site traffic was down 5.3% while order volume decreased 3.9% year over year. Because they generally excel at identification and retention, this represents an opportunity to create a larger base of loyalists.
Apparel retailers’ site traffic decreased by 5.3% year-over-year, compared with the average decrease of 6.2%.
Mobile reigned supreme on Black Friday, accounting for 79% of site traffic.
Apparel retailers had an average identification rate of 36% compared with the overall average of 29%.
1.5% of apparel buyers had been recently identified, slightly higher than the 1.3%
Apparel retailers’ average order value increased by 0.3% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 1.2%.
Apparel retailers’ order volume decreased by 4.1% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 2.7%.
Once again, Black Friday accounted for the bulk of Cyber Week sales with 19%, followed by Cyber Monday (16%) and Saturday (15%).
From last year, apparel retailers’ repeat purchase rate increased by 4.1%, compared with the overall average increase of 2.3%.
Enterprise apparel retailers saw 57% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 51% average.
Mid-market apparel retailers saw 38% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 33% average.
On Black Friday, 64% of purchases were made by new buyers, while retained and reactivated buyers accounted for 24% and 13 of sales, respectively.
Department stores are often one-stop shops for, well, everything. That explains the 6.5% increase in order volume: one of the only verticals to improve there. Department stores also excelled at stoking loyalty, with the largest percentage of repeat buyers. In fact, just 30% of enterprise department store Black Friday buyers were new, showing how these retailers benefitted from driving purchases from their retained customer base. They far outperformed almost every vertical we captured in this year’s data in terms of driving value from existing customers, a key driver for retail profitability.
Department stores have loyal retained customer bases, they’re also known for being heavily promotional during peak shopping days. The average vertical saw a 1.2% decrease in average order value. For department stores, it was 2.5%, one of the few areas where this vertical was below average.
Department stores’ site traffic increased by 7.5% year-over-year, compared with the average decrease of 6.2%.
Mobile reigned supreme on Black Friday, accounting for 79% of site traffic.
Department stores had an average identification rate of 31% compared with the overall average of 29%.
0.9% of department store customers had been recently identified, just under the 1.3% average.
Department stores’ average order value decreased by 2.5% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 1.2%.
Department stores’ order volume increased by 6.5% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 2.7%.
Once again, Black Friday accounted for the bulk of Cyber Week sales with 19%, followed by Cyber Monday (16%) and Saturday (15%).
From last year, department stores’ repeat purchase rate increased by 0.8%, compared with the overall average increase of 2.3%.
Enterprise department stores saw 71% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 51% average.
Mid-market department stores saw 46% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 33% average.
On Black Friday, 64% of purchases were made by new buyers, while retained and reactivated buyers accounted for 24% and 13 of sales, respectively.
Footwear brands do a good job striking while the iron is hot. While their identification rates were slightly below average, they were steps ahead every other vertical in terms of capitalizing on those newly identified shoppers. Footwear retailers converted 1.7% of them on Black Friday, compared with the 1.3% average.
Footwear retailers have a one-and-done problem. They’ve made strides in improving repeat purchases — with a 1.5% increase, they were in the middle of the pack — but lag when it comes to building retention. Nearly two-thirds of enterprise footwear buyers were new ones. At 74%, that number was even higher on the mid-market side.
Footwear retailers’ site traffic decreased by 0.4% year-over-year, compared with the average decrease of 6.2%.
Mobile reigned supreme on Black Friday, accounting for 79% of site traffic.
Footwear retailers had an average identification rate of 27%, slightly lower than the overall average of 29%.
1.7% of footwear buyers had been recently identified, higher than the 1.3% average.
Footwear retailers’ average order value decreased by 3.2% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 1.2%.
Footwear retailers’ order volume increased by 0.9% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 2.7%.
Once again, Black Friday accounted for the bulk of Cyber Week sales with 19%, followed by Cyber Monday (16%) and Saturday (15%).
From last year, footwear retailers’ repeat purchase rate increased by 1.5%, compared with the overall average increase of 2.3%.
Enterprise footwear retailers saw 33% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 51% average.
Mid-market footwear retailers saw 25% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 33% average.
On Black Friday, 64% of purchases were made by new buyers, while retained and reactivated buyers accounted for 24% and 13 of sales, respectively.
Black Friday put a ring light behind the fact that cross-category buyers should be the ultimate goal for health & beauty brands. While they had the highest average order values and strong retention, those retained buyers didn’t buy as much this year. Order volume was down 10.1% year-over-year. Health & beauty retailers weren’t especially promotional this year and many of them started their Black Friday sales in October, which may explain the decline in order volume.
Black Friday put a ring light behind the fact that cross-category buyers should be the ultimate goal for health & beauty brands. While they had the highest average order values and strong retention, those active buyers didn’t buy as much this year. Order volume was down 10.1% year-over-year. Health & beauty retailers weren’t especially promotional this year and many of them started their Black Friday sales in October, which may explain the decline in order volume.
Health & beauty retailers’ site traffic decreased by 2.2% year-over-year, compared with the average decrease of 6.2%.
Mobile reigned supreme on Black Friday, accounting for 79% of site traffic.
Health & beauty retailers had an average identification rate of 27%, slightly lower than the overall average of 29%.
1% of health & beauty buyers had been recently identified, just under the 1.3% average.
Health & beauty retailers’ average order value increased by 9.7% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 1.2%.
Health & beauty retailers’ order volume decreased by 10.1% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 2.7%.
Once again, Black Friday accounted for the bulk of Cyber Week sales with 19%, followed by Cyber Monday (16%) and Saturday (15%).
From last year, health & beauty retailers’ repeat purchase rate decreased by 1.6%, compared with the overall average increase of 2.3%.
Enterprise health & beauty retailers saw 70% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 51% average.
Mid-market health & beauty retailers saw 37% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 33% average.
On Black Friday, 64% of purchases were made by new buyers, while retained and reactivated buyers accounted for 24% and 13 of sales, respectively.
Home retailers had one of the highest repeat purchase rates last Black Friday and this year, they brought down the house. The average vertical increased repeat purchases by 2.3%; for home retailers, it was 7.3%.
Despite improving repeat purchase rates, new buyers made up 66% of sales for enterprise home retailers and 72% for their mid-market counterparts. By improving their below average identification rates, these brands can build more robust customer profiles and eventually, make those repeat buyers stickier.
Home retailers’ site traffic decreased by 14.2% year-over-year, compared with the average decrease of 6.2%.
Mobile reigned supreme on Black Friday, accounting for 79% of site traffic.
Home retailers had an average identification rate of 23% compared with the overall average of 29%.
0.9% of home retailers’ buyers had been recently identified, compared with the 1.3% average.
Home retailers’ average order value decreased by 2.3% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 1.2%.
Home retailers’ order volume decreased by 15.2% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 2.7%.
Once again, Black Friday accounted for the bulk of Cyber Week sales with 19%, followed by Cyber Monday (16%) and Saturday (15%).
From last year, home retailers’ repeat purchase rate increased by 7.3%, compared with the overall average increase of 2.3%.
Enterprise home saw 34% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 51% average.
Mid-market home retailers saw 28% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 33% average.
On Black Friday, 64% of purchases were made by new buyers, while retained and reactivated buyers accounted for 24% and 13 of sales, respectively.
Most verticals saw year-over-year decreases in site traffic and order volume. Jewelry & accessories retailers outshone the competition in both areas. They experienced a 20.1% increase in order volume, significantly higher than the -2.7% average.
It seems jewelry & accessories retailers prioritized acquisition this holiday season. Spikes in sessions and order volume aside, these brands lagged behind in every other metric. The lowest identification rates — 17%, compared to the 29% average — made way for the highest instances of new buyers. What’s more, jewelry & accessories retailers’ repeat purchase rates were down 6.4% year-over-year.
Jewelry and accessories retailers’ site traffic increased by 23.8% year-over-year, compared with the average decrease of 6.2%.
Mobile reigned supreme on Black Friday, accounting for 79% of site traffic.
Jewelry and accessories retailers had an average identification rate of 17% compared with the overall average of 29%.
1% of jewelry and accessories buyers had been recently identified, just under the 1.3% average.
Jewelry and accessories retailers’ average order value decreased by 2.7% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 1.2%.
Jewelry and accessories retailers’ order volume increased by 20.1% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 2.7%.
Once again, Black Friday accounted for the bulk of Cyber Week sales with 19%, followed by Cyber Monday (16%) and Saturday (15%).
From last year, jewelry and accessories retailers’ repeat purchase rate decreased by 6.4%, compared with the overall average increase of 2.3%.
Enterprise jewelry and accessories retailers saw 25% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 51% average.
Mid-market jewelry and accessories retailers saw 20% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 33% average.
On Black Friday, 64% of purchases were made by new buyers, while retained and reactivated buyers accounted for 24% and 13 of sales, respectively.
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.
High price points and affluent customers give luxury retailers a natural advantage in strong spend trends. Both of those metrics were down overall for the industry, though luxury buyers ordered 5% more and spent 8% more than they did last year. Despite higher identification rates than their general market counterparts, luxury retailers had lower repeat purchase rates. This shows an opportunity to cultivate deeper relationships with customers, many of whom may be gift-givers.
Luxury retailers’ site traffic increased by 7.7% year-over-year, compared with the average decrease of 6.5% seen by general market retailers.
Mobile reigned supreme on Black Friday, accounting for 79% of site traffic.
Luxury retailers had an average identification rate of 34% compared with 28% for general market retailers.
Luxury retailers converted 0.8% of their newly identified shoppers, compared with the 1.4% average of general market brands.
Luxury retailers’ average order value increased by 8% year-over-year, compared with the average decrease of 1.3% for general market retailers.
Luxury retailers’ order volume increased by 5% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 3% for general market retailers.
Once again, Black Friday accounted for the bulk of Cyber Week sales with 19%, followed by Cyber Monday (16%) and Saturday (15%).
From last year, luxury retailers’ repeat purchase rate increased by 1%, compared with the general market retailers’ average increase of 2.5%.
27% of luxury retailers’ sales came from repeat buyers, compared with the 36% overall average.
Sports & hobbies retailers tend to have niche audiences, giving them a leg up when it comes to loyalty. Our Black Friday data backs that up. A whopping 66% of enterprise sports & hobby retailers’ Black Friday sales came from repeat buyers, which gives them the gold. These brands saw a 5.8% jump in average order value, the only vertical besides health & beauty to increase year-over-year.
This holiday season, retailers in the sports & hobbies space seemed to focus more on growing relationships with retained customers rather than acquiring new ones. Though sports & hobbies retailers have so many loyal customers, they had the lowest site traffic, which dropped by 12.3% year-over-year, and orders were down by 10.9%.
Sports & hobbies retailers’ site traffic decreased by 12.3% year-over-year, compared with the average decrease of 6.2%.
Mobile reigned supreme on Black Friday, accounting for 79% of site traffic.
Sports & hobbies retailers had an average identification rate of 26% compared with the overall average of 29%.
0.8% of sports & hobbies buyers had been recently identified, compared with the 1.3% average.
Sports & hobbies retailers’ average order value increased by 5.8% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 1.2%.
Sports & hobbies retailers’ order volume decreased by 10.9% year-over-year, compared with the overall average decrease of 2.7%.
Once again, Black Friday accounted for the bulk of Cyber Week sales with 19%, followed by Cyber Monday (16%) and Saturday (15%).
From last year, sports & hobbies retailers’ repeat purchase rate increased by 2.4%, compared with the overall average increase of 2.3%.
Enterprise sports & hobbies retailers saw 66% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 51% average.
Mid-market sports & hobbies retailers saw 39% of their sales come from repeat buyers, compared with the 33% average.
On Black Friday, 64% of purchases were made by new buyers, while retained and reactivated buyers accounted for 24% and 13 of sales, respectively.
Our Methodology
Bluecore analyzed the following data from Black Friday 2024, collected from 52 million first-party cookies, 251 million shopper events, 3.7 million orders, and $504 million in total sales across 146 retail brands.
Of these 146 brands, 54 are classified as enterprise (those with at least 250,000 unique customers on Black Friday), while the remaining 92 are considered mid-market.
Black Friday UTC timeframe: 7:00 PM EST Thursday, November 28, 2024, through 7:00 PM EST Friday, November 29, 2024.
Site Traffic Comparison: Black Friday 2023 vs. 2024
Site traffic was measured as the median year-over-year (YOY) change in session volume for all businesses within each industry. A session is defined as a continuous duration of onsite activity, ending only after 30 minutes of inactivity.
Shopper Identification Breakdown
We calculated the percentage of on-site cookies on Black Friday 2024 that fell into the following categories:
- Identified: Cookies associated with an email address before Black Friday.
- Newly Identified: Cookies associated with an email address for the first time on November 29, 2024.
- Unidentified: Cookies not associated with any email address.
Changes in Average Order Value and Total Orders
We calculated the total order volume and average order value (AOV = revenue ÷ orders) for Black Friday shoppers on November 29, 2024, and compared it to November 24, 2023. Industry AOV changes were calculated as the median year-over-year (YOY) change in AOV for all businesses within each industry.
Breakdown of Buyer Types on Black Friday 2024
- New Buyers: Made their first purchase with the brand between November 28, 2023, and November 29, 2024.
- Reactivated Buyers: Had previously purchased with the brand but had been inactive for at least 12 months prior to November 28 2023, and were reactivated in the 12 months prior to November 29 2024.
- Active Buyers: Had at least 1 purchase in the 12 months prior to November 28, 2023
We also calculated the percentage of repeat buyers (those with a history of purchasing with the brand before) compared to new buyers (those buying for the first time). This comparison was analyzed for Black Friday 2024 and compared to 2023. Repeat buyer rate is defined as total count of repeat buyers / total buyers.
Recent First-Time Buyers: Those who made their first purchase with a brand on or after November 1, 2024, and placed an order on Black Friday.
Recently Identified Who Bought: Those who were identified for the first time on or after November 1, 2024, and placed an order on Black Friday.
What’s next
Customer Movement Assessment
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