Black Friday is the biggest shopping event of the year, with millions of people searching for the best deals. Online sales in the US reached $12.5 billion in 2024, a 7 per cent increase from last year. Mobile purchases accounted for 55 per cent of these sales, with 75 per cent of shoppers choosing online shopping over physical stores. 
 
Despite this, in-store shopping made a small comeback, with sales rising by 3.2 per cent. Clothing and electronics remain popular in-store purchases. 
 
This year, shoppers spent around £355 more than in 2023. 60 per cent of all sales were made by younger shoppers (ages 18-34) They mostly bought electronics, fashion, and home goods. 
 
The chart below highlights spending breakdown in key categories: 
 

 
Figure 1: Breakdown of spending categories on Black Friday 2024. (Chart created by AI using Python’s Matplotlib library.) 
 

 
 
 
A surprising finding was that people who used cash instead of cards felt happier and more in control of their spending. Furthermore, 35 percent of shoppers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products. 
 
Black Friday has become a full shopping week for retailers due to the spread of deals across multiple days. There were over £10 billion in sales on Cyber Monday this year, a fast catch-up from last year. 
 
The key takeaway? Both online and in-store shopping are becoming more selective, budget-conscious, and sustainable.