Early birds win Black Week 2025: Here’s why

Discover key insights from Black Week 2024 and learn how to build a smarter strategy for 2025. From early campaigns to omnichannel tactics and personalized engagement, here’s how retailers can drive real results.

Last updated June 26, 2025

Mikaela Clavel

Head of Content

Black Week has evolved into the most strategic sales period of the year. Gone are the days of Black Friday dominating alone. Today, the entire week demands attention, planning, and precision.

The data from Black Week 2024 paints a clear picture: to win, retailers need to start early (start now!), think omnichannel, and deliver personalized value at every single touchpoint. Sounds obvious? Let’s take a closer look at last year’s numbers and explore some helpful strategies that can make you stand out in 2025.

Total spending was up, but it was front-loaded

Consumer spending during Black Week 2024 rose 4.97% compared to 2023. But don’t be fooled, this growth wasn’t driven by Black Friday. It was the earlier part of the week that carried the momentum (maybe because payday fell on Monday?).

When looking at the revenue growth compared to 2023, we can see that:

Monday was up +13%
Tuesday: +16%
Wednesday: +20%
Thursday: +9%
Black Friday: +0.15%
Saturday: +3%
Sunday: -9%

So, what does this mean? Shoppers are starting earlier, and so should you with your promotions. Waiting until Friday to release your best deals might mean missing the peak window entirely.

What about Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday remained a key element of Black Week 2024, despite a slight dip in total spending (-1.5%) compared to 2023. This decline likely reflected a shift in shopper priorities earlier during the week. Even so, the day stood out for its focus on high-value and luxury items, as shoppers capitalized on last-minute deals.

Here are the premium sectors that performed much better than the previous year.

Furniture (+32%): The clear winner of Cyber Monday, far surpassing its steady weekly growth of +5%. Shoppers held off on big-ticket purchases, waiting for Cyber Monday’s discounts on home essentials and high-value furniture.
Fashion – Premium Brand (+24%): Luxury products thrived, building on their strong weekly performance (+16%). Well-timed online promotions helped encourage shoppers to invest in high-end items.
Beauty & Cosmetics (+21%): This category continued its momentum from earlier in the week, driven by last-minute self-care deals and gift purchases.

While Black Friday generated the highest revenue spike, Cyber Monday attracted strategic shoppers, those waiting for targeted deals on big-ticket or premium items. What you can do is to use this day for retargeting, luxury deals, and VIP loyalty offers.

Physical retail is still leading the way

Despite the convenience of e-commerce, 65% of Black Week revenue came from in-store purchases. Physical stores offered immediate gratification, exclusive in-store events, and festive energy that online couldn’t match.

But online wasn’t far behind; 35% of sales came through digital channels, particularly for high-value or luxury items, thanks to easy comparison, longer shopping hours, and skip-the-crowd convenience.

To be successful this year, don’t choose between online and offline. The winners will be omnichannel retailers who offered a cohesive experience across touchpoints.

What sectors performed best?

Some categories performed exceptionally well last year, and those were Pharmaceuticals & Health and Home Decoration & Garden Supplies, indicating that shoppers focused on wellness and upgrading their homes. Smart retailers used storytelling, well-being themes, and premium positioning.

Top-performing sectors:

Pharmaceuticals & Health: +17%
Home & Garden: +17%
Fashion – Premium Brand: +16%
Beauty & Cosmetics: +13%

Sectors in line with overall growth

These sectors aligned closely with the overall 4.97% growth, showing steady consumer interest. While they didn’t see explosive growth, their consistent performance highlighted their resilience in a competitive market.

Fashion – Reseller: +5%
Furniture: +5%
Jewelry & Accessories: +3%

Underperformers:

Electronics: -3% overall (and -9% on Black Friday)
Hobbies & DIY: -1%
Sports & Outdoor: -1%

What could be the possible reasons for the underperformance? Price transparency, consumer fatigue, and a lack of urgency. These sectors may benefit from repositioning around lifestyle, gifting, or early access.

Gender-based shopping behaviors

Women made 63% of total purchases, but men had an average receipt value 68% higher. When breaking down total revenue generated by gender, we can see that:

Women dominated overall spending, contributing to nearly two-thirds of Black Week sales.
Men made fewer but higher-value purchases, with an average receipt value of 991 SEK, compared to 590 SEK for women.
This means men spent a staggering 68% more per purchase than women, indicating a focus on fewer but bigger-ticket items.

The lesson from this is to really segment your offers. Curated collections and flash deals resonate with women, while premium bundles and tech appeal more to men.

Smart discounts beat large discounts

Sunday saw the highest average discount, yet revenue dropped 9%. This proves deeper discounts alone don’t drive success. Instead, focus on:

Bundles and exclusive kits
Lifestyle framing (e.g., gift guides)
Emotional triggers
Personalized timing

5 strategies to succeed in 2025

Start early. Most of the week’s growth came before Friday. Use payday and anticipation to your advantage.
Go omnichannel. Sync store and online offers, optimize inventory visibility, and use behavior triggers to reach shoppers across platforms.
Prioritize loyalty. Reward your best customers with early access, exclusive bundles, and personalized journeys after the sale.
Track what works. Use multi-touch attribution to measure the impact of email, SMS, app, and in-store campaigns.
Use personalization. Customize based on spend tier, demographics, and behavior. Make every touchpoint relevant.