Black Friday statistics 2024

Australians will spend $7.5 billion billion on sale days during November, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

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Sophie Wallis

Updated

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How many Australians will be shopping on Black Friday 2024?

A Finder survey of 1,009 respondents revealed 1 in 2 (50%) – equivalent to 10.45 million people – have shopped or plan to shop during some of the biggest sales events of the year.

Black Friday (29%), Boxing Day (29%), Amazon Prime Day (14%), and Cyber Monday (13%) are the most popular sales events.

The research shows Aussies have already spent $6.3 billion and are looking to spend a further $7.5 billion on a variety of products including clothes, beauty, gadgets and travel.

The data shows young Aussies are keen to get spending. More than half of Gen Z (76%) have shopped or plan to shop the sales, followed by 69% of Millennials.

How much are we spending?

The average shopper is planning to fork out $722 this sales season on big sales events like Black Friday.

Baby Boomers will be the most responsible with their money, spending an average of $438. Gen Y on the other hand will be letting loose, shelling out $808 each at the shops.

What are we spending on?

Clothes and shoes are the most popular shopping item, with 62% of Aussies planning to upgrade their wardrobe.

This is followed by electronics and gadgets, where 41% are planning to splurge.

Spending is on the up

Finder analysis of ABS data shows that the average retail spend per person has increased by 52% between 2008 and 2024 – including a 2% year-on-year jump in 2024.

How has interest in Black Friday changed over time?

Until 2019, interest in Black Friday had steadily increased for as long as the Internet has been around. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted this trend, and global search volume for Black Friday fell 39% in 2020. This trend has continued over the last two years with search volume in 2022 down 49% from the 2020 peak. Interest picked back up again in 2023, possibly as people across the globe look to deal with higher inflation and interest rates.

Aussie brands have clearly embraced the American phenomenon. Tech retailer JB HI-FI leads the pack as the most commonly searched retailer for Black Friday deals in Australia. Web searches for Black Friday deals from JB HI-FI are 36% higher than those from Apple, the second most common retailer.

Local stalwarts Harvey Norman, Kmart and Myer all tie for third, beating out Amazon which ranked second behind Walmart when we last did this analysis across global searches.

With retailers like Dyson, JB Hi-Fi and Amazon among the most popular places to score a Black Friday bargain, is it any wonder tech products top web searches during the sale?

As far as generic terms go, people are most interested in finding discounted Apple products, video games, and Dyson home appliances according to SEMrush data.

The most searched-for products between September 2022 and September 2023 included iPhone 14, Play Station 5, and Nintendo Switch.

Early Black Friday deals

Here are a handful of early-bird Black Friday tech deals, handpicked by our shopping experts.

  • $650 off select Dyson appliances: Dyson's Black Friday sale has started early with up to $650 off some of its best appliances including the top-of-the-range Dyson Gen5detect Absolute stick vacuum cleaner.
  • 58% off Lenovo laptops: Use the discount code BFCM24 to receive up to 58% off selected Lenovo laptops including popular ThinkPad and Yoga models.
  • Save $20 on Apple Airpods Pros: Amazon has the Apple AirPods Pro with MagSafe Case down to $329 right now, from a previous RRP of $399. Prime members also get an extra $10 off, bringing the total to $319.
  • 25% off Apple watches: Shop the Apple Watch at Amazon and save up to 25% off the RRP. Prices start at $297. Valid for a limited time only at Amazon.
  • Up to $2000 off Samsung TVs: Samsung has slashed its Neo QLED 8K Smart TV range by up to $2,000 when you buy direct. You can also receive a Trade-Up Bonus of up $1,100 when you trade in your old device.

To see the full list of deals, head to our complete Black Friday shopping guide.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is one of the busiest retail holidays, falling on the Friday following Thanksgiving. This year, Black Friday is 29 November 2024.

Black Friday past, present and future

YearThanksgiving (Thursday)Black Friday
201624 November 201625 November 2016
201723 November 201724 November 2017
201822 November 201823 November 2018
201928 November 201929 November 2019
202026 November 202027 November 2020
202125 November 202126 November 2021
202224 November 202225 November 2022
202323 November 202324 November 2023
202428 November 202429 November 2024
202527 November 202528 November 2025
202626 November 202627 November 2026

How did it start? How much has it grown in popularity?

The Black Friday shopping event has its roots in Philadelphia, where police officers used it derogatorily to describe the chaotic shopping day that follows Thanksgiving, which was typically marred by crowds and shoplifters, according to History.com.

It wasn't until the late 1980s that Black Friday found mainstream popularity as a day for the general public to find a good deal. While overall sales are up for Black Friday by and large, its popularity has dipped over the last few years, with retailers reporting drops in physical sales.

Online retailers are the big winners on Black Friday, resulting in the syphoning off of a subsequent sale day for online shopping called Cyber Monday, which happens the Monday following Black Friday.

Cyber Monday past, present and future

YearBlack FridayCyber Monday
201625 November 201628 November 2016
201724 November 201727 November 2017
201823 November 201826 November 2018
201929 November 20192 December 2019
202027 November 202030 November 2020
202126 November 202129 November 2021
202225 November 202228 November 2022
202324 November 202327 November 2023
202429 November 20242 December 2024
202528 November 20251 December 2025
202627 November 202630 November 2026

What are the other big shopping days?

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Analyst

Sophie Wallis is an insights analyst with a passion for data storytelling. She spends her time turning complex data into digestible stories and uncovering new consumer trends. When she isn't working, you'll find her planning her next overseas holiday or bingeing on a big novel. Sophie has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Melbourne. See full bio

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