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2025 E-COMMERCE TRENDS: BLACK FRIDAY BUYING BEHAVIOR

75% of global shoppers make a purchase during Black Friday and Cyber Monday but 16% don’t believe the hype!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain a critical sales period for e-commerce retailers. Shoppers are ready to spend – but to convert them, retailers need to understand what motivates them, what they’re buying and most importantly, whether they trust the deals and prices on offer. However, not all countries or shopper types participate in this seasonal shopping sale.


Black Friday shopping in numbers

71%

SAY DISCOUNTS AND SAVINGS MOTIVATE THEM TO SPEND

50%

COMPLETELY OR MOSTLY TRUST RETAILERS’ OFFERS AND PRICES

34%

SOMEWHAT TRUST RETAILERS OFFERS AND PRICES

16%

RARELY OR DO NOT TRUST RETAILERS OFFERS AND PRICES

Electronics

ARE THE MOST PURCHASED ITEM – 37% OF GLOBAL SHOPPERS BUY THESE DURING THE BLACK FRIDAY SALES

Gen Z & Millennials

ARE THE MOST ACTIVE BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPERS – ONLY 9% DON’T BUY AT ALL

Baby Boomers

ARE THE LEAST ACTIVE BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPERS – 27% DON’T BUY AT ALL

33%

OF EUROPEANS PURCHASE MORE DURING THE BLACK FRIDAY SALES


How much do shoppers buy during Black Friday?

Across the globe, shoppers – especially younger generations – are active spenders during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With strong demand during this seasonal sales period, there are valuable opportunities for retailers to boost their sales.

 

More

The same amount

Less

Not at all

Argentina

42%

30%

12%

17%

Australia

39%

34%

6%

21%

Austria

35%

40%

11%

15%

Brazil

50%

33%

9%

8%

Canada

39%

42%

7%

12%

China

22%

58%

9%

11%

The Czech Republic

28%

46%

9%

17%

France

33%

41%

9%

17%

Germany

38%

36%

9%

18%

India

35%

34%

17%

13%

Italy

21%

57%

10%

12%

Malaysia

21%

34%

14%

32%

Morocco

33%

33%

19%

15%

The Netherlands

28%

37%

10%

25%

Nigeria

63%

21%

12%

4%

Poland

25%

49%

10%

16%

South Africa

47%

29%

10%

15%

Spain

41%

39%

9%

12%

Sweden

37%

38%

10%

15%

Thailand

29%

49%

9%

13%

Turkey

40%

35%

10%

15%

The UAE

47%

38%

9%

6%

The UK

36%

38%

9%

17%

The USA

35%

40%

9%

16%

Global

36%

39%

10%

15%

Europe

33%

41%

10%

16%

Gen Z

45%

34%

13%

9%

Millennials

42%

39%

10%

9%

Gen X

32%

42%

9%

17%

Baby Boomers

23%

41%

9%

27%


What motivates shoppers to spend?

Getting a discount is the number one reason shoppers buy during Black Friday, especially Baby Boomers and Gen X, who are particularly motivated by saving money. Limited-time deals that are only available during this period also drive people to click ‘buy now’. Understanding what motivates shoppers can sharpen your Black Friday strategy and help ensure your offers hit the mark.

 

Discounts and savings

Exclusive
deals

Limited-time offers

Early access to
seasonal deals

Global shoppers

71%

49%

44%

28%

Gen Z

67%

50%

48%

29%

Millennials

69%

50%

46%

30%

Gen X

74%

48%

41%

27%

Baby Boomers

76%

47%

38%

24%


What do shoppers buy?

From electronics to clothing and footwear, shoppers are filling their carts with a wide mix of products during the Black Friday sales. Knowing what’s in demand can help you prioritize your promotions and stock the right products to convert clicks into sales.

Read the 2025 E-Commerce Trends Report to see what different types of shoppers buy the most.

Electronics

Clothing

Footwear

Home furnishings

Sport, leisure & hobby items

Cosmetics & beauty products

Toys or games

Household products

37%

32%

26%

23%

22%

 

22%

 

22%

 

 

 

 

16%


Do shoppers really trust retailers’ offers and prices during this time?

With so many promotions competing for attention, trust plays a major role in whether shoppers hit ‘buy now’ or walk away. Understanding how confident they feel about pricing and offers can make or break retailers Black Friday performance.

Younger generations are the most active – and most trusting – Black Friday shoppers. 56% of Gen Z trust retailers’ prices, compared to just 38% of Baby Boomers. Along with social and subscription shoppers, they’re also more motivated by limited-time deals – so consider creating a sense of urgency with your Black Friday offers. In Europe, shoppers in Poland, Italy and the Czech Republic are some of the most trusting of prices and offers.

Despite only 54% of cross-border and refurbished shoppers and say they trust retailers’ offers and prices during this time, they are two of the shoppers types that are most active during this seasonal sale, with 42% saying they buy more during this time.

86% of Thai shoppers make a purchase during Black Friday despite only 30% saying they trust retailers’ offers and prices. Austrian shoppers show similar behavior – only 34% say they trust offers and prices but 35% say they purchase more during this time and 40% say they buy the same amount.

Here’s how many shoppers in each country say they completely or mostly trust retailer’s Black Friday offers and prices:

Argentina

41%

Australia

55%

Austria

34%

Brazil

38%

Canada

48%

The Czech Republic

70%

France

29%

Germany

44%

India

41%

Italy

73%

Malaysia

38%

Morocco

66%

The Netherlands

52%

Nigeria

35%

Poland

74%

South Africa

34%

Spain

53%

Sweden

47%

Thailand

30%

Turkey

65%

The UAE

53%

The UK

63%

The USA

49%

Global

50%

Europe

39%

Gen Z

56%

Millennials

54%

Gen X

46%

Baby Boomers

38%

Social shoppers

56%

Sustainable shoppers

55%

Cross-border shoppers

54%

Refurbished shoppers

54%

Subscription shoppers

65%


Meet the Black Friday shopper

Want to sell to today’s Black Friday shoppers? Start by understanding where they buy, how they shop and what really makes or breaks the sale with these shoppers.

Real voices influence their choices – they are the most influenced by customer reviews on social media (64%). Their temptation to shop when offers are available goes beyond Black Friday, with 52% saying they shop more when they receive an offer or discount code from a retailer.

Head to page 57 of the 2025 E-Commerce Tends Report to access the full infographic

Delivery terms can make or break the deal

Black Friday Shoppers want free delivery – and they’re more selective about who they buy from based on delivery and return policies. When it comes to buying during sales periods, additional charges matter.

mainly buy from online retailers that offer free delivery

say free delivery would improve their online shopping experience

would abandon their basket if not offered their preferred delivery option

They’re not afraid to look further afield

Black Friday Shoppers are more likely to buy from retailers outside their home country. They're open to trying new international brands – as long as the deal is right.

buy from retailers in other countries

buy from other countries to get lower prices

will only buy from countries they trust

They’re ready to make impulse purchases

From trending products to social influences, Black Friday Shoppers shop more frequently if the influence is there. Offering flexible payment options and getting your products trending on social is likely to attract these shoppers.

say trends or viral products always or often influence their buying decisions

say social media makes them shop more frequently

say Buy Now, Pay Later encourages them to buy more online


All stats and figures are taken from the DHL eCommerce Online Shopper Survey conducted between February and March 2025. Respondents were required to have made at least one purchase online within the three months prior to the survey. 70+ questions were asked to 24,000 respondents across 24 countries (1,000 per country) with an equal split across demographics – where possible. The countries chosen for this survey represent some of the most active e-commerce markets across the globe. Where percentages do not equal 100%, this is due to certain questions having multiple-choice options. Where there is a deviation of percentages over 100%, this is due to rounding of answer options. Not all data from the survey is displayed on this page. Country, regional, generational, and shopper profile data is provided, but this does not reach a level of statistical significance to make definitive statements about specific groups globally. Figures are correct at the time of publishing.


Explore even more trends from the current and past reports:


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