After Black Friday, what's next for the holiday season?

According to data from the National Retail Federation, Adobe Analytics and retail experts, a record number of people spent in the five days between Thanksgiving and Cyber ​​Monday. But compared with previous years, consumers shifted from "buying when there is inventory" to "buying when there is a discount."

Adobe Analytics reported that Black Friday sales in the U.S. reached $9.12 billion this year, up 2.3% year-over-year. Cyber ​​Monday sales reached $11.3 billion, up 5.8% year-over-year. Some of the growth may be due to price increases, affected by inflation.

But in any case, the consumption trends of Black Friday Online Week (BCFM) to some extent show the sales trends of the upcoming holiday season. The following are the key sales data about this Black Friday shopping.

196.7 million: Total number of shoppers

Data shows that nearly 198 million consumers participated in Black Friday shopping in the United States this year, including online stores and offline shopping channels. Although inflation may lead to inflated sales, consumer shopping confidence has generally increased.

NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said many consumers may have a "revenge spending" mentality when shopping this Christmas. Consumers who are worried about inflation may use their savings to help pay for gifts. About 38% of people use credit cards for Black Friday shopping.

Shay noted that consumers are in record numbers and are shopping at record volumes, and it’s clear that consumers are looking for ways to make up for any discrepancies between their spending needs and their incomes.

122.7 million: Number of consumers who shop in physical stores

The number of shoppers visiting physical stores this weekend increased by 17% this year, up from 105 million last year, which is comparable to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019 and 2018, 124 million people shopped in stores during Black Friday shopping weeks.

Shay said some of the growth is due to fewer restrictions and health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. It could also be a matter of inventory, with stores holding more inventory than this time last year and consumers wanting to revisit the in-store shopping experience.

86%: Consumers want to see more discounts during the rest of the holiday season

NRF found that 86% of consumers expect to see great deals during the rest of the season, so retailers need to continue offering discounts during the rest of the holiday season to attract more consumers.

Melissa Burdick, co-founder and president of e-commerce software platform Pacvue, said many people may add to their cart and wait until the last minute to place their order in the hope of a bigger discount.

59%: How many people use their mobile phones during Cyber ​​Week shopping

About 77 million people shopped online on Cyber ​​Monday, most of them using their phones. NRF found that 45.7 million Cyber ​​Monday online shoppers used their mobile devices this year, up from 39.8 million in 2021.

Pacvue's Burdick said the trend suggests retailers should make sure their mobile pages are optimized, that promotions can be easily found on mobile, and that product images and videos are considered for mobile.

$942.6 million to $960.4 million: Overall sales forecast for the holiday season

The NRF predicts a record-breaking holiday sales season through Dec. 31, up 6% to 8% from last year. But all that spending will likely be concentrated on essentials and discounted items.

Of the BFCM week consumers NRF surveyed, 50% purchased apparel and accessories, 27% purchased gift cards, and 24% purchased electronics.

Pacvue's Burdick said electronics sales may slow compared with previous years because there are no big gaming system releases and consumers are shifting to more practical and essential items. For example, last year the most-clicked Black Friday deal on Amazon was a $200 laptop, this year it was a $6 pair of leggings.

Editor✎ Ashley/

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