For decades, Black Friday was strictly a US phenomenon, marked as the Friday after Thanksgiving. Now, it’s a cornerstone of the Australian retail calendar, generating buzz in the early 2010s, when major international retailers and tech brands introduced Black Friday to the Australian audience.
Black Friday has overtaken Boxing Day to be the number one sales event of the year in Australia. Brands look to capture consumer attention with massive discounts, setting the stage for pre-Christmas bargain hunting. Some businesses are now seeing surges in activity as early as October, as they begin to build awareness earlier and earlier to get ahead of the competition.
The Australian Shopper in 2025
Australian consumers have become more research-driven in their purchases:
- 71% wait for Black Friday to buy planned items, not impulse buys
- 86% spend extra time researching before purchasing.
- 84% cite price as their number one priority
As noted by Jessica White, VP Creative & Media at DEPT, shoppers are buying fewer products but spending more per transaction, often choosing big-ticket items over impulse buys.
While online shopping is still dominant, over two-thirds of Black Friday purchases are still happening offline. Many shoppers still want to see products in person as part of their pre-purchase research, with the instant gratification of taking the product home from the store.
Lessons From Black Friday 2024
Australian shoppers dropped a record-breaking $37 billion in November alone, pushing retail sales up 3% despite cost-of-living pressures. The brands that invested in segmented, personalised campaigns outperformed those leaning solely on blanket discounts. Unification between online and offline channels also allowed retailers to capture customers despite evolving consumer behaviours.
The Takeaway
Black Friday is a marathon, not a sprint.
Brands who embrace these changing attitudes and adapt their tactics will not only win new customers but build the kind of loyalty that pays off in the long run.
