Black Friday beats Boxing Day to become Britain’s biggest shopping event

Once considered a US import with questionable staying power, Black Friday has now cemented its place at the top of the UK’s shopping calendar. In fact, nearly half (46%) of UK consumers say it’s their biggest shopping event of the year, putting it far ahead of Boxing Day sales, which trail behind at just 23%.

This shift in consumer behaviour carries clear implications for brands: to win the fourth quarter, you need to win Black Friday. Our survey of 2,000 working-age consumers in the UK reveals just how important the retail event has become [view the dashboard], and underscores the need for brands to carry out their own research.

Why Black Friday now matters most

In recent years, UK consumers have gravitated strongly toward Black Friday for their bargain‑hunting and gift‑buying. Last year in the UK, PWC estimated that around £7.1 billion was spent during the Black Friday sales.

By comparison, traditional post‑Christmas sales such as Boxing Day are now playing second fiddle. For example, UK shoppers were expected to spend around £4.6 billion on Boxing Day 2024, according to Barclays. 

What this signals is a clear shift in consumer calendars. Rather than waiting until the 26th December or after, many consumers are front‑loading their festive shopping into the Black Friday window. Instead of treating themselves to New Year bargains, our data suggests consumers have started using Black Friday as a mechanism for coping with the financial strain of Christmas.

Saving on Christmas gifts is the dominant motivation for shopping (59%), while 31% say they use Black Friday to get discounts on household essentials in the run up to Christmas. That’s almost as many as the 37% who are focused on buying treats for themselves, and reveals how Black Friday has evolved beyond discretionary spending. 

Black Friday 2025: A spending event with serious intent

The data paints a picture of serious purchase intent – 75% of respondents plan to shop Black Friday deals this year, and 44% say they’re “very likely” to make a purchase. This is despite a cost-of-living backdrop where 52% say the Autumn Budget will likely impact their spending, showing how Black Friday is seen less as indulgence and more as a necessary strategy for managing rising costs.

Nearly half (49%) of shoppers plan to spend more than they did last year, and 14% plan to spend “a lot” more. The biggest-spending demographic is Gen Z, with 56% of under 30s “very likely” to buy and 21% planning to spend “a lot” more than last year.

Higher earners also show strong intent, with 66% of those earning £75k+ “very likely” to purchase (vs 35% of those with a household income under £35k). And 30% of high earners plan to spend significantly more this year. Interestingly, high earners are more likely to be planning to buy household essentials than lower earners (43% vs 29%), which suggests they may view Black Friday as an opportunity to stock up and save through bulk buying. 

Consumers are fully bought-in to Black Friday

Despite negative press around the authenticity of Black Friday discounts and deals, sentiment around the shopping event is high. Most consumers believe it is a legitimate sales event, with only a third thinking it’s a scam. 

Younger shoppers and high earners are especially likely to express faith in Black Friday, with 31% and 44% respectively saying they “strongly disagree” Black Friday is a scam. Paradoxically, even among those consumers who think the event is a scam, a third say they are likely to make a purchase this year, showing that the drive to find bargains can outweigh scepticism in the current climate. 

In general, consumers express high satisfaction with their Black Friday purchases: 59% have never regretted something they’ve bought. That’s despite many having experienced a negative outcome, including 33% who’ve bought something on impulse they didn’t need, and 27% who made a purchase they later found for a lower price. 

Brand loyalty collapses under discount pressure

One double-edged sword for brands is that UK consumers’ enthusiasm for finding bargains on Black Friday has a direct impact on their brand loyalty. The majority of shoppers (61%) say they’re open to trying brands outside of those they usually purchase during the retail event. In other words, price sensitivity and deal hunting are actively reshaping consumer brand habits.

This weakening of brand loyalty is especially strong among high earners: 33% of whom are “very likely” to buy new brands versus only 17% of lower earners. Remember, high earners are the shoppers most likely to make Black Friday purchases, and to spend the most on them, so this matters. 

Established brands risk losing long-term customers unless they jump on the bandwagon and offer compelling discounts. However, at the same time, challenger brands can really capitalise on Black Friday as an opportunity for discovery. Ultimately, it’s never been easier to steal share, but also never been easier to lose it.

6 Takeaways for researchers: preparing for Black Friday 2026

For consumer insight professionals and brand researchers preparing for next year’s Black Friday cycle, here are key research priorities:

1. Pre‑event behaviour mapping

• When do consumers start looking at deals in your category? How far in advance?
• What triggers participation (budget release, income cycle, marketing touchpoint)?
• What proportion of spending is planned vs opportunistic?

2. Demographic & psychographic segmentation

• Which age / gender segments are most active in your category, and what is their average spend?
• What are the motivations for spending (gifts vs self, upgrade vs bargain, brand loyalty vs new discovery)?
• How do regional / socio‑economic factors influence participation?

3. Channel and device research

• What share of traffic / spend will come from mobile vs desktop vs in‑store?
• How are shoppers using omnichannel behaviours (e.g., browse online, buy in store or vice‑versa)?
• What is the conversion funnel like around Black Friday (e.g., browse‑to‑buy time, cart abandonment rates)?

4. Category & product research

• Which of your products offer the biggest opportunities (and risks) during Black Friday?
• What price thresholds or discount levels drive attention and conversion?
• How does brand vs discount trade‑off shape decision‑making in your category?

5. Offer effectiveness and brand health

• How do consumers perceive your brand’s Black Friday offer (value, fairness, loyalty)?
• What is the impact of heavy discounting on brand equity and future full‑price sales?
• Are you seeing deal‑led purchase behaviours (i.e., “just buy because of discount”) and what is the return/return‑rate on those?

6. Post‑event evaluation

• How much of Black Friday spend is additional incremental spend vs advanced spending of what would have occurred anyway?
• What is the return behaviour (returns, cancellations) of Black Friday purchases?
• How does Black Friday behaviour affect subsequent shopping events (Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year)?

By structuring research around these questions, brands and insight teams can treat Black Friday not just as a tactical event, but as a strategic milestone in the annual retail calendar. Establishing a baseline now sets you up for richer year‑on‑year insights.

Ready to start tracking your brand’s Black Friday metrics? Speak to a research expert today.