Insights

Black Friday 2019: What Is Driving Consumers To Shop This Year?

Our second annual global consumer survey shows that a majority of shoppers worldwide continue to plan to shop online on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. What does this growing online trend mean for brick-and-mortar retailers?

Exhibit 1: For a second year in a row, a majority of consumers globally are planning to shop during Black Friday/Cyber Monday online only with Italian shoppers leading the way with 71 percent.

 

Source: Oliver Wyman Black Friday Survey, US: n = 1,210, CA: n = 1,001, DE: n = 1,002, IT: n = 1,006, n=312, ES: n= 1,017, FR: n= 1,002, RU: n = 1,000, CH: n=1,027, NL: n = 1,020, AU: n=1,002, NZ: n= 1,000


When are consumers looking to shop?

Our research indicates how customers want to shop, as well as when they plan to do it. The week leading up to and directly on Black Friday continues to be a much more popular time for shopping than Cyber Monday. The US (48 percent) and Canada (42 percent) lead with planned shopping directly on Cyber Monday.

Exhibit 2: The week leading up to and directly on Black Friday continues to be the most popular time to shop.

Source: Oliver Wyman Black Friday Survey, US: n = 1,210, CA: n = 1,001, DE: n = 1,002, FR: n= 1,002, RU: n = 1,000, CH: n=1,027, NL: n = 1,020, AU: n=1,002, NZ: n= 1,000


What are consumers planning to buy?

For the second year, electronics and apparel continue to dominate planned sales globally. In Italy, 73 percent of consumers are interested in purchasing electronics and computers, while the US and UK are only slightly behind at 71 percent. Meanwhile, in France planned apparel purchases win the market at 68 percent, but the Netherlands (65 percent) and Australia (64 percent) are close behind.

Exhibit 3: Globally consumer electronics and apparel top the shopper’s wish lists on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Source: Oliver Wyman Black Friday Survey, US: n = 1,210, CA: n = 1,001, DE: n = 1,002, IT: n = 1,006, n=312, ES: n= 1,017, FR: n= 1,002, RU: n = 1,000, CH: n=1,027, NL: n = 1,020, AU: n=1,002, NZ: n= 1,000


How much are consumers planning to spend?

Our survey found that while spending varies globally, the US had the highest percentage – 25 percent – who planned to spend up to $500. At the other end of the scale, markets with not as strong of a history with Black Friday/Cyber Monday planned to spend only up to $100 – Russia (33 percent) and Netherlands (29 percent).

Exhibit 4: Spending habits varies globally, but most markets plan to spend 200-300 in local currency.

Source: Oliver Wyman Black Friday Survey, US: n = 1,210, CA: n = 1,001, DE: n = 1,002,  FR: n= 1,002, RU: n = 1,000, CH: n=1,027, NL: n = 1,020, AU: n=1,002, NZ: n= 1,000