In a shift from "midnight sprees," US sales peaked between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM as consumers opted to sleep in. 3. Top Performing Product Categories
Out-of-stock messages were 124% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Fear of shortages drove shoppers to buy earlier in the month rather than waiting for the "big day".
Black Friday 2021 Report: A Year of Transition Black Friday 2021 (November 26) was characterized by a unique "return to normalcy" following the 2020 pandemic surge, though it faced significant headwinds from global supply chain disruptions and shifting consumer habits. For the first time on record, online revenue on Black Friday saw a year-over-year (YoY) decrease in major markets like the US (1% drop) and the UK (14% drop). 1. Key Performance Metrics Black Friday (2021)
Smartphones accounted for 44% of online sales , an 11% increase YoY.
US online sales reached $8.9 billion , down from $9.0 billion in 2020. In a shift from "midnight sprees," US sales
In some regions, the average spend per transaction rose only marginally (e.g., from R535 to R545 in South Africa), indicating consumers were buying more items but remaining conservative on price.
On Thanksgiving Day, the average discount in the US was 27% , a 7% decrease from the previous year. 2. Major Consumer Trends Fear of shortages drove shoppers to buy earlier
Despite overall revenue dips, specific sectors saw massive growth compared to early November baselines.