Black Friday Statistics, Trends, & Facts [2024]

Cyber Week includes some of the biggest holiday shopping events of the year.

From Black Friday to Small Business Saturday to Cyber Monday, many stores offer huge discounts that draw in thousands of customers all Thanksgiving weekend long.

Recently, our market research company launched our 6th annual Black Friday survey. We polled over 1,000 consumers across the U.S. to learn more about their holiday shopping habits, preferences, and attitudes surrounding Cyber Week 2024 – plus how it compares to years past.

Top Black Friday statistics for 2024 include:

75% of respondents are planning to shop online this Black Friday.
A significant amount of shoppers (36%) believe stores should start selling Christmas decorations right after Halloween.
34% of people will begin shopping on Thanksgiving Day.
20% of people will spend $1,000 or more on holiday shopping this year
37% of Black Friday shoppers are ditching lines to enter stores after waiting less than 30 minutes.
81% of in-person shoppers will purchase clothing and accessories on Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

General Black Friday Statistics

1. 75% of respondents are planning to shop online this Black Friday

This is up 7% from 2023 and is also in stark contrast to the 29% (up 2%) of shoppers willing to brave the Black Friday crowds in person. While the percentage for in-person shopping is up slightly from last year, it’s still significantly lower than what we found in 2022 (43%).

With over 2.14 billion people choosing to shop online, it’s no wonder this percentage has increased.

2. 16% of holiday shoppers will say no to Cyber Week

A small (but mighty) group of shoppers will not participate in any of the Cyber Week shopping days in-person or online. This is down 2% when compared to those saying no to Cyber Week in 2023.

Common reasons for not shopping included:

Dislike of crowds (54%)
Not interested in products offered (24%)
Not wanting to spend money (18%)
No good deals (14%)
Time away from loved ones (13%)
It can be dangerous (11%)
Belief that it’s a scam (9%)

3. For those shopping this Cyber Week, 87% are doing so to take advantage of the many special discounts and deals.

69% of shoppers are using Cyber Week to finally cash in on items they’ve been wanting to see drop in price, and 57% will use it to kickoff or wrap-up their holiday shopping.

4. Amazon (85%) and Walmart (59%) will be the top two choices for online Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping this year

While Amazon was still the top shopping choice for respondents last year, it’s down by 3%. On the flip side, Walmart rose in popularity by 8% from 2023 - taking the #2 place that Target held last year.

Other popular stores shoppers will flock to include:

Target (57%)
Best Buy (29%)
Kohl’s (28%)
Macy’s (27%)
Sephora (20%)
Old Navy (20%)
Costco (19%)
eBay (15%)
Home Depot (15%)

5. A significant amount of shoppers (36%) believe stores should start selling Christmas decorations right after Halloween.

Often a hot topic for debate is when stores should say goodbye to fall decorations and hello to all things Christmas. While they may not want to see Christmas decor hit the shelves right after Halloween 25% of shoppers are fine with it coming out around mid-November.

6. For 71% of those braving the crowds in-person this year, Walmart will be their first choice for shopping.

Close behind is Target (67%), which was top dog in 2023 for in-person shopping when compared to Walmart (66%).

Other popular choice for in-person shopping include:

Kohl’s (39%)
Macy’s (38%)
Best Buy (37%)
Shopping mall or center (34%)
Marshalls (28%)
Old Navy (28%)
TJ Maxx (28%)
Costco (26%)
Sephora (25%)

7. 24% of respondents have gotten pushed or shoved by other Black Friday shoppers.

We all know that Black Friday can get a little bonkers - nearly a quarter of our survey respondents recall getting pushed or shoved by fellow shoppers.

9% of them revealed they’ve gotten into a verbal altercation with other shoppers, and 5% stated they’ve even had physical altercations with other shoppers. Stay safe out there!

8. In 2024, 42% of shoppers will spend about the same amount of money that they did for Cyber Week 2023.

22% are planning to spend slightly less, while 22% are ready to spend slightly more. Smaller percentages are planning to spend much less (10%) and much more (6%).

9. What happens right after Thanksgiving? The Christmas music kickoff - at least for 20% of respondents.

While this group is ready to turn on the festive jams after the holiday, 12% will already be playing it the week of Thanksgiving.

14% of respondents start listening around mid-November, while 11% will start right after Halloween. A dedicated group of 2% will already be listening before Halloween.

This is in contrast to those who start playing Christmas music the first week of December (18%), mid-December (8%), and the week of Christmas itself (4%). 11% of respondents will not listen to any Christmas music this holiday season.

10. An especially dedicated 10% of respondents recall skipping Thanksgiving dinner to go shopping in past years

We hope they took some pie to go.

Black Friday Spending Statistics

11. 20% of people will spend $1,000 or more on holiday shopping this year

It’s the most expensive time of the year! This is a 3% decrease from the 23% of shoppers that planned to spend $1,000 or more last year.

Other respondents indicated they would spend:

$800 to $999 (10%)
$600 to $799 (14%)
$400 to $599 (22%)
$200 to $399 (19%)
Less than $200 (13%)

12. For those spending less this holiday shopping season, rising cost of living is the top reason for 80% of respondents.

66% of respondents will be spending less this year due to increasing grocery costs, and 59% cite high inflation as a top reason.

Other reasons respondents gave us:

Fewer people to shop for (24%)
Job uncertainty (21%)
Fluctuating interest rates (7%)

13. 2% of respondents don’t plan to spend any money this holiday shopping season.

This smaller figure was the same in 2023, and indicates that most everyone will spend at least some amount of money on holiday shopping this year.

14. A massive $9.5 billion was spent last Black Friday

This is hardly surprising, and just another sign that many Americans will hit their favorite stores (whether online or in-person) this year to nab their most-wanted items.

Black Friday Consumer Purchasing Habits & Preferences

15. 34% of people will begin shopping on Thanksgiving Day.

Our survey results found that 16% will begin shopping on Thanksgiving afternoon/evening (3PM to 6PM), with the other 18% waiting to start shopping until later on Thanksgiving (6PM to 12AM).

16. 30% of shoppers will begin their shopping from 5AM to 10AM on Black Friday.

While this is the most popular time for shoppers to head out on Black Friday, some will head out far earlier and later as well.

Other times include:

12AM to 5AM (13%)
10AM to 2PM (17%)
After 2PM (6%)

17. Promotions/sales (81%) and free shipping (77%) are the key factors shoppers choose to buy on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Other reasons shoppers choose to buy on these days are the availability of products (68%) and return/exchange policies (50%).

Additional reasons shoppers will head out on Black Friday/Cyber Monday include:

Fast shipping times (49%)
Online reviews (45%)
By online pickup in store (BOPUS) capabilities (22%)
Recommendations by family/friends (21%)
By now pay later (BNPL) capabilities (17%)
Store hours (11%)

18. 37% of Black Friday shoppers are ditching lines to enter stores after waiting less than 30 minutes.

We all know how frustrating a long line can be (on Black Friday, no less). And many of our respondents feel the same way, so much so that they’ll wave goodbye to lines in under half an hour.

However, 35% of respondents are willing to wait in line to enter a store for 30 minutes to an hour to purchase their items.

19. 29% of shoppers will wait one to over two hours in line to enter a store on Black Friday.

This just goes to show the dedication of certain Black Friday shoppers! 16% are fine with a one to two-hour wait, and 13% will wait over two hours to head into a store.

20. 42% of Black Friday shoppers will wait 30 minutes to an hour in checkout lines.

Following behind that is the 37% of shoppers who will leave checkout lines after less than 30 minutes.

21. 14% of shoppers will wait over an hour in check out lines.

This is down 5% when compared to 2023 (18%). A brave 7% of shoppers will wait over two hours to buy their items.

22. 15% of shoppers have worn their pajamas during Black Friday shopping trips in past years

Whatever floats their boat, right? This statistic only goes to show that many US shoppers will (one way or another) make it to their shopping destinations this Cyber Week.

23. 42% of respondents have their holiday shopping complete by early to mid-December.

9% of shoppers clearly plan ahead and have their shopping complete before Thanksgiving, while 4% finally wrap up shopping on Christmas Eve.

Below are the other times respondents finish their holiday shopping:

After Black Friday (12%)
After Small Business Saturday (2%)
After Cyber Monday (9%)
Week leading up to Christmas (22%)

Black Friday Product Purchases

24. 65% of Black Friday shoppers discover Black Friday deals on retailer’s websites.

61% reported retailer promotional emails as the way they discover sales, and 53% reported retailer promotional social media ads as being another avenue.

Other ways shoppers discover sales include:

Word of mouth recommendations from family and friends (38%)
Online blogs/articles (36%)
Retailer apps/push notifications (35%)
Retailer organic social media posts (24%)
TV/radio (23%)
Newspaper/magazines (19%)
Influencers (19%)
In-store advertisements (17%)

25. 81% of in-person shoppers will purchase clothing and accessories on Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

Close behind clothing/accessories is electronics, which 75% of shoppers will be angling for this Cyber Week. This type of data is essential for businesses to ensure items in these categories are well-stocked leading up to Cyber Week.

Shoppers also indicated they will be purchasing:

Household appliances (49%)
Health and beauty products (43%)
Toys (40%)
Interior home design products (34%)
Furniture (33%)
Pet products (32%)
Sport and leisure (27%)
Books (26%)
Arts and crafts (26%)
Fitness (24%)
Outdoor/gardening products (19%)
Office/business supplies (11%)

26. For those shopping online this Cyber Week, 77% will be purchasing clothing and accessories.

71% will be purchasing electronics, up 5% from our 2023 survey results.

Shoppers also indicated they will be purchasing:

Health and beauty products (45%)
Household appliances (40%)
Toys (38%)
Books (30%)
Pet products (28%)
Interior home design products (26%)
Sport and leisure (23%)
Furniture (23%)
Fitness (22%)
Arts and crafts (20%)
Outdoor/gardening products (18%)
Office/business supplies (11%)

27. This year, 49% of shoppers will purchase clothing and accessories on Small Business Saturday.

Small Business Saturday plans an important role in Cyber Week, as it allows shoppers to purchase from smaller, often local shops.

According to our survey data, more people are planning on shopping this day than those shopping online Black Friday - meaning that these small businesses should prepare for a significant influx of visitors!

Aside from clothes/accessories, other items purchased on Small Business Saturday include:

Arts and crafts (37%)
Books (32%)
Health and beauty products (32%)
Interior home design products (28%)
Toys (22%)
Electronics (21%)
Pet products (19%)
Furniture (13%)
Outdoor/gardening products (13%)
Household appliances (11%)
Sport and leisure (10%)
Office/business supplies (10%)
Fitness (8%)

Black Friday Shopping Trends

28. In-person shopping will likely continue to decline in 2024

While there was a 2% increase for in-person shoppers this year (29%), it’s still a significantly lower figure than what our previous Black Friday surveys revealed.

However, perhaps this 2% increase indicates in-store shopping will become more popular in the coming years. We’ll just have to wait and see (check back with us in 2025).

29. Walmart replaces Target for in-person shopping in 2024

This shows a switch from 2023, where Target came out on-top for those heading out to shop on Black Friday. While Walmart “won” this year as the most popular place to shop in-person with 71% of respondents, Target was still close behind with 67% of shoppers heading there to snag their deals.

30. Shoppers may be getting more patient when it comes to longer wait times to enter stores

Last year, our Black Friday survey data revealed that 26% of shoppers will wait up to an hour in line to enter a store. This year, the survey data has revealed that nearly 10% more (35%) shoppers will wait up to an hour to head into a store.

31. Slightly less shoppers will turn to Amazon for their Cyber Week purchases in 2024

While Amazon was still the most preferred online retailer to shop from this Cyber Week for 85% of shoppers, it was down 3% from last year’s survey data (88%). While this is a small percentage, it may indicate shoppers will turn to other large retailers for online shopping in years to come.

Black Friday Demographics

By Gender

Females (25%) are more likely to report they will spend less money on holiday shopping this year than males (20%)
Males (26%) are more likely to report job uncertainty as a reason why they are spending less on holiday shopping this year than females (20%)
Males are more likely to shop in-person at Walmart (68%), Target (61%), and Best Buy (50%) for Black Friday, while females are more likely to shop in-person at Target (70%), Walmart (72%), and Kohl’s (43%)
39% of females will only stand in a line to enter a store if it is under a 30-minute wait time
Females (67%) are less likely to consider a store’s product availability when choosing where to shop on Black Friday weekend than males (72%)

By Age

Millenials/Gen Y are more likely to shop online Black Friday (84%) than they are to shop online Cyber Monday (77%) in 2024
Compared to other generations, Baby Boomers are most likely to not shop during Cyber Week 2024 (33%)
Millennials (24%) and Gen X (22%) are more likely to anticipate spending $1,000 or more this holiday season
13% of Gen Zers predict they will spend more on holiday shopping in 2024 than they did in 2023
Gen X was the only generation to rank free shipping (83%) as the leading factor in choosing where to shop slightly over promotions/sales (81%)

By Household Income (HHI)

Nearly 1 in 2 respondents with an HHI of $150,000 or more anticipate spending $1,000 or more on holiday shopping this year
Respondents with a HHI of $100,000 to $149,999 are most likely to shop in-person on Black Friday (33%)
Those with higher HHI ($75K or higher) are more likely to do their in-person Black Friday shopping at Target, while those with lower HHI ($74,999 or lower) are more likely to shop at Walmart

Survey Background & Methodology

Figures in our Black Friday and Cyber Monday market research report are drawn from an online survey conducted by Drive Research to better understand consumers' holiday shopping preferences and purchasing behaviors. Drive Research is a national market research company based in Syracuse, NY.

With a probabilistic sample, a total of 1,020 responses at the 95% confidence level offers a 3% margin of error. If the survey were conducted with another random pool of respondents, the results would yield within +3% or -3% of the stated totals in the reports.

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Lark Allen

As a Content Marketing Specialist, Lark has a strong background and passion for creative, professional, and journalistic writing. She is also a self-proclaimed music freak and 90s enthusiast.

Learn more about Lark, here.