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Article

Black Friday Weekend: Plenty of Reason for Cheer

Find out how brick-and-mortar retailers performed on Black Friday this year.

By 
Lila Margalit
December 5, 2024
Black Friday Weekend: Plenty of Reason for Cheer
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Key Takeaways
  • Visits to retailers nationwide surged by 40.4% on Black Friday (November 29th, 2024) compared to an average Friday this year. Year over year (YoY), Black Friday retail foot traffic increased 0.9% – with more substantial YoY boosts seen during the weekend.
  • Regionally, Black Friday drove the biggest visit spikes in parts of the Midwest, South, and Northeast, and resonated less strongly in the West. But YoY, the Mountain region saw the most substantial Black Friday foot traffic growth (4.1%), perhaps indicating that the milestone is growing in local importance.  

Black Friday is the biggest retail milestone of the year – drawing millions of shoppers to stores nationwide. And even as e-commerce claims a growing piece of the holiday shopping pie, consumers flock to brick-and-mortar retailers to browse the aisles, check out new products, and enjoy the festive holiday atmosphere. 

But how did brick-and-mortar retailers fare during this year’s Black Friday? Did the high-stakes shopping period deliver?

Brick-and-Mortar Retail Visits Up 0.9% YoY

Black Friday has evolved into a multi-day shopping bonanza. Early holiday sales draw crowds well before Thanksgiving, and major markdowns continue into the weekend and through Cyber Monday. Still, foot traffic data shows that the traditional milestone hasn’t lost its touch. On November 29th, 2024 visits to retailers nationwide surged by 40.4% compared to an average Friday this year – up slightly from 39.8% in 2023.

Year over year (YoY), retail foot traffic increased 0.9% on Black Friday this year – a modest uptick, but one which highlights the resilience of physical retail in an increasingly digital world. Most of the days during the week leading up to Black Friday also saw modest YoY visit increases, as shoppers got a head start on their bargain hunting. And the Saturday and Sunday following the milestone saw more significant YoY visit increases of 2.0% and 6.2%, respectively – perhaps driven in part by customers picking up orders placed online during Black Friday.

Regional Factors at Play

Digging deeper into the data for different areas of the country shows that the resonance of the milestone varies significantly by region. In Delaware and New Hampshire, visits to retailers on November 29th were up a whopping 75.9% and 72.8%, respectively, compared to an average Friday this year. And in much of the Midwest – including North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Kansas – retail foot traffic surged by more than 50.0%. By contrast, Western states such as California (26.0%), Wyoming (24.1%), New Mexico (24.5%), Montana (31.3%), Colorado (32.6%), Nevada (33.1%), and Utah (33.6%) experienced much more modest visit boosts.

The differences in statewide Black Friday performance may reflect more general regional Black Friday patterns. Though the Mountain states saw smaller Black Friday visit spikes than other areas of the country, retail visits in the region on November 29th, 2024 were up 4.1% YoY – perhaps a sign that the milestone is growing in local importance. The Eastern and Western South Central regions saw YoY visit increases of 3.7% and 2.8%, respectively – while the South Atlantic region saw a 1.5% increase. Meanwhile, some of the areas where Black Friday is most resonant – including the Midwest – saw visits remain flat or fall slightly below 2023 levels. 

No Room for FOMO

Holiday shopping is about more than just making transactions – consumers eagerly leave the comfort of their homes to embrace the thrill of the treasure hunt, explore new products firsthand, and enjoy the experience of shopping with friends. And foot traffic data shows that Black Friday retains plenty of in-person appeal.

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