Black Friday stats: everything you need to know (updated 2022)

In 2021, Dotdigital sent nearly 600 million emails over the BFCM weekend. That was 37% higher than in 2020. We also saw a significant increase in the number of SMS sent by our clients; 3 million text messages were sent to customers using Dotdigital, a substantial increase of 74%.  

But what does this mean for 2022?  

Holiday shopping habits 2022

2020 and 2021 saw a significant change in consumer spending habits.  Ecommerce grew nearly five times faster in the UK in 2020 and 3 times faster in the US once the pandemic hit.   

Today, ecommerce sales make up 21% of global retail sales. That’s a 50% increase on pre-pandemic levels.

Online channels, especially mobile and social have also experienced significant growth. Social commerce most significantly has grown by 29% since 2020, and today makes up 4.4% of US ecommerce sales.

So, what will shopping habits look like in 2022? With shops, bars, and restaurants open again, will we see a decline in online shopping? Or will rising inflation and a cost-of-living crisis lead to customers cutting back on unnecessary expenses?  

Truthfully, only time will tell, but researchers have already begun looking into shoppers’ expected behaviors during the 2022 holiday period.  

Kicking off with Black Friday through to Cyber Monday, we’ve collated this year’s most important BFCM stats to help inform your marketing strategy.  

Black Friday statistics for 2022

76% of consumers plan to shop on BFCM  

According to research carried out by the digital publisher, Future Publishing, 76% of US consumers will be engaged with BFCM this year.  

77% of them will be more or similarly engaged as last year, seeing it as an opportunity to get some great deals and do the bulk of their holiday shopping.  

BFCM shopping budget will average $818 

Most shoppers (43%) plan to use BFCM to purchase gifts for friends and family. The second most popular planned spending (25%) during the holiday is upgrading technology or appliances before the holidays.  

Overall, the average US shopper is planning on spending around $818. Despite rising inflation, 2 in 5 shoppers are expecting their BFCM budget to increase this year.  

94% of shoppers now shop entirely or partially online  

Having a smooth cross-channel experience is more essential than ever before. While online-only shopping makes up the bulk of customer behavior during BFCM (56%), 38% of global shoppers shop online and in-store.  

That means your messaging, offers, and experiences need to be consistent across every channel, on and offline.  

Amazon accounts for 17.7% of Black Friday sales  

If you don’t already have an Amazon Storefront, maybe you should get one in time for the holiday season.  

55% of consumers start online shopping from Amazon and for two years in a row now, Amazon has been the top BFCM retailer. Having a Storefront will increase your chances of getting discovered by shoppers. 

The average BFCM discount is 24% 

Over the BFCM weekend, the average discount shoppers receive globally is 24%. This has been steadily decreasing, down 8% on 2020. Pair this with the average selling price (ASP) is up by 5% globally, and the savings customers are making aren’t actually that big. At least, not compared to years gone by.  

This year, focus on the benefit to the shopper – how much are they saving, what benefits will they get from the product, will they get free shipping or returns and what will that save them?  

BFCM cart abandonment rate is 78% globally 

It makes sense that as more shoppers head online for the holiday season, more shopping carts will be abandoned.  

At the same time, cart abandonment emails have a 34% open rate and a 9% click-through rate during the BFCM period. This is slightly below the general average. Be sure to make your abandoned cart emails stand out using personalization and segmentation.  

CTR increases by 64% when subject lines feature Black Friday or Cyber Monday  

Dotdigital research has found that using the phrases ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ in subject lines can lead to higher engagement and increase CTR by 64%.  

Put simply, shoppers want to know why you’re emailing them. We all want to be witty and smart with our subject lines, but sometimes – and especially during busy sales periods – the more upfront and honest your email marketing is, the better. After all, they’re looking for BFCM deals, so make it easy to locate yours.