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Global Black Friday Statistics 2021: What you Need to Know

Black Friday statistics will help you win the busiest day of the year, from past performance patterns to possible holiday trends.

Black Friday 2021 was one for the books. After the shift to digital that COVID spurred, we expected there to be a bigger number of consumers finally stepping out of their homes to shop IRL this year, and for mobile to make a comeback as more people adjust to using social media for discovering and browsing products online.

We all know the volatility 2020 brought to shopping markets. Many of us are unsure how Black Friday will look this year. In 2020, certain industries saw an unexpected rise in ecommerce sales , while other historically successful verticals struggled to stay afloat.

Even though the picture wasn’t clear going into Black Friday 2021 we took every bit of data and created a comprehensive Black Friday statistics report that isn’t missing a beat. Continue reading to see the highlights.

Black Friday 2021 Performance by region, industry and device

Our team worked hard to track performance across millions Nosto-powered interactions in multiple industries and regions. This data shows the difference between 2020 and now.

Here are the Black Friday statistics year-over-year:

Performance Data for Region

Median percentage difference (2021 vs.2020) from 12:00 AM UTC Friday, November 26, 2021 to 12 PM UTC Monday, November 29, 2021.

REGION	AOV	CONVERSION RATE	SALES	TRAFFIC
North America	+17%	-3%	+21%	+.5%
United Kingdom	+12%	-8%	-4%	-12%
Europe	+9%	-4%	+1%	-9%
APAC	+7%	+3%	+17%	+5%
LATAM	+6%	+12%	-6%	-16%

Industry performance data

Median percentage difference (2021 vs.2020) from 12:00 AM UTC Friday, November 26, 2021 to 12 PM UTC Monday, November 29, 2021.

INDUSTRY	AOV	CONVERSION RATE	SALES	TRAFFIC
Fashion & Accessories	+11%	-8%	+6%	-1%
Health & Beauty	+9%	-3%	+5%	-5%
Home & Garden	+10%	-5%	+3%	-13%
Sporting Goods & Hobbies	+11%	+38%	+1%	-9%
Pet Supplies	+6%	-1%	+9%	-31%

Device performance data

Median percentage difference (2021 vs.2020) from 12:00 AM UTC Friday, November 26, 2021 to 12 PM UTC Monday, November 29, 2021.

DEVICE	CONVERSION RATE	TRAFFIC SHARE	SALES SHARE	ORDERS SHARE
Mobile	+4%	+13%	+49%	+45%
Desktop	+3%	+67%	+52%	+55%

From Friday, November 26, at 12:00 UTC, to Monday, November 29, at 12 PM UTC, our full data analysis covered the period. Our full BFCM 2021 statistics report provides complete data analysis on Black Friday/CyberMonday weekend performance by industry, region, and device vs last year.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021 by the Numbers: The Complete 2020 Performance Report

Are you curious to find out how the top retail industries performed over the busiest weekend of the year in terms of sales? Get complete Black Friday/CyberMonday statistics by region, industry, and device in our interactive report.

• Traffic to the store
• Sales
• Conversion rates
• Average order value (AOV)
• Comparisons of performance year-over-year

Online Black Friday statistics: a comparison of U.S. and UK sales

Black Friday was born in the U.S., and while sales are still dominant here, the U.S. also occupied the highest level of online search interest regarding Black Friday in 2021.

Although it is true that the American shopping holiday originated in North America, and it remains the largest U.S. market, it spread rapidly to other countries in recent years.

Online sales for Black Friday in the United States

From 2013 to 2019, online Black Friday sales in the United States amounted to over $9 billion. The growth rates have been increasing year-over-year. This was so significant that online Black Friday sales rose 22% to $9 billion in 2020, a record for the year.

But 2021 was a completely different story. Adobe Analytics saw a drop of Black Friday sales to 8.9 million, just shy of the 2020 record. Many believe this is due to lingering pandemics (out-of stock items, longer shipping times, etc.) and earlier online deals possibly stealing some of their momentum.

Online Black Friday sales in the UK

The U.S. has experienced an exponential growth in Black Friday sales over the years. However, countries like the UK have seen a slower increase when we look back. The UK’s Black Friday online sales in 2018 are less than those of the United States five years ago. However, UK shoppers continue to spend more in every year.

Black Friday vs. Cyber Tuesday year-by-year

Black Friday isn’t a one-day event. Cyber Monday offers shoppers the opportunity to grab additional virtual deals. How do these two days compare? We analysed both Cyber Monday and Black Friday performance.

• Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales statistics
• Traffic statistics for Black Friday/Cyber Tuesday

Black Friday vs. Cyber Tuesday – 2021 Performance

 

Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday – 2020 Performance

Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday – 2019 Performance

Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday – 2018 Performance

Download our complete BFCM 2021 statistics report to learn more about Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

These are the retail trends driving peak season sales and Black Friday sales

It is crucial that retailers offer consumers online experiences that delight, considering the post-pandemic changes in consumer behavior.

It is possible to make a significant difference in bounce rate, time on site and other factors that influence shoppers to take action. It’s important to understand how customers experience your brand during this crucial shopping season. This is not only for Black Friday but also throughout the peak season 2022 and beyond.

Customers appreciate free shipping

Everybody loves a little extra shipping incentive, especially during holidays. Amazon has been known for offering free shipping to all customers during holiday seasons.

Free shipping is a simple but effective way of building brand loyalty and driving better conversion and retention.

Keep in mind that while free shipping may seem like a big perk to most consumers, many people don’t consider it a promotion. A third of shoppers will not shop for brands that don’t offer free shipping.

Consider offering free shipping to customers who spend a certain amount. This will increase the average order value. To personalize the cart page of your shoppers, you can show them product recommendations to help them reach the threshold.

Social media as a discovery channel

Social media has become a major source of brand and product discovery throughout the year. It is crucial for promoting peak season sales and visibility.

Every year, shoppers turn to social media to find the best deals, gift ideas, and other oddities. To convert all the extra eyes that peak season brings, you will want to leverage as much user-generated-content (UGC) on your social channels as possible–especially since 79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions.

You will almost certainly get new customers during peak seasons by using and publishing content created by enthusiastic customers. Hurrah! Remember to keep up with the buzz generated by it (share, likes, comments, repost–you get the idea) so that featured customers feel valued and motivated to create more content.

Quick tip Remember to include holiday-themed hashtags! To give trending hashtags more longevity, make sure your campaign hashtag is not just for peak season.

Black Friday sales momentum will be evident after Black Saturday weekend

Black Friday is not a holiday that exists in isolation. The holiday sales season begins with Cyber Monday and Black Friday sales weekends.

Historically, 37% of U.S. holiday retail sales occur during the BFCM, but only 18% of Americans say they complete their holiday shopping before this period.

Cyber Week II is a term that you may have heard of. Cyber Week II is the second week after Christmas, when shoppers are equipped with gift cards and ready to shop for more. This is a period that has been incredibly popular in many markets around the world.

Personalized offers can be used to encourage holiday shoppers to make more holiday purchases. You could display holiday-specific products on the website or remind shoppers by email of items they have viewed but not purchased. This will increase your chances of selling during peak season.

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