Black Friday 2025 didn’t give us a neat headline. It wasn’t the explosive return some predicted, nor the collapse others feared. Instead, it was messy, expensive, and strangely resilient? It was an interesting mixture of strong demand tangled up with rising costs, cautious shoppers, and a promotional landscape that now stretches far beyond a single day.
Across our own accounts and the wider market, one thing became very clear to us: This year, getting the click was the easy part. Turning that click into a sale was where things got difficult.
Here’s what happened across the UK this BFCM, and what it means for advertisers heading into Q1.
The Macro Picture: High Activity, Low Efficiency
Despite the uncertainty leading into November, British shoppers did turn up, just not in the straightforward way many brands were banking on.
According to Adobe Analytics, UK online spend across the four days from Black Friday to Cyber Monday hit £3.8 billion, a 4.6% increase YoY. Nationwide recorded 11.9 million card transactions on Black Friday alone, up 8.7% compared to 2024.
Online demand was up +15% YoY across the full BFCM weekend. Meanwhile, high-street footfall dropped 3.3%, continuing the shift towards online-first shopping habits.
But the biggest surprise was Cyber Monday completely overshadowed Black Friday in the UK, with order volumes around 70% higher in stark contrast to the US, where Black Friday still dominates.
This shift reflects something very British, people waited. They compared. They researched. And only when they felt confident the deals were genuine did they commit.
What We Saw in Paid Media: The Cost of Visibility Went Up
Optmyzr’s analysis of 5,000+ ecommerce and 16,000+ lead-gen advertisers showed the same pattern on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday:
1. Visibility cost more… again.
- Ad spend rose sharply YoY
- Impressions fell meaning advertisers paid more to secure the same (or less) reach.
2. Engagement held strong.
- Clicks were up
- CTR was up
- Lead gen even saw slightly lower CPCs
Shoppers were definitely present, but they were slower to commit.
3. The post-click experience was the real bottleneck.
Landing pages, checkout flow, offer clarity, stock levels, delivery options had a large impact on getting buyers over the line.
Clicks weren’t the challenge. Converting cautious, comparison-driven shoppers was.
And with conversion lag still filling in for many advertisers, performance throughout early December is proving higher than initial Black Friday readings suggested, another reminder that BFCM results rarely “settle” in real time.
A More Cynical, More Selective Consumer
2025 marked a turning point in how UK shoppers approach Black Friday.
A Guardian-referenced survey found:
- Only 29% of consumers still see Black Friday as the best time for bargains
- 44% say they no longer look forward to it like they used to
Nationwide also flagged concerns around misleading offers and scam-adjacent “deals.” Many items were reportedly cheaper at other times of the year, and consumers noticed.
This awareness didn’t stop people buying, but it did change how they bought:
- Fewer impulse purchases
- Higher average order values
- More emphasis on value and longevity
- Heavier use of comparison tools and cashback platforms
- Stronger evening peaks (especially 5pm–10pm as people shopped after work)
This helps explain another trend: Tech & Durables struggled, with NielsenIQ reporting declines across nearly all categories except Personal Care (+4%). Big-ticket “nice-to-haves” were postponed. Trusted essentials and quality gifts held up.
So… Why Is Black Friday Getting Harder?
Because shoppers have changed. Platforms have changed. And competition has changed.
Black Friday is harder because:
- Visibility costs keep rising
- Deals feel predictable (and often unconvincing)
- Consumers are sceptical and research-driven
- Checkout experiences are make or break
- Brands are battling a full month of promotions, not a single day
- Clicks no longer indicate intent, commitment does
To wrap it all up
Black Friday 2025 didn’t deliver a neat story, but it did give us direction. Shoppers are still turning up in droves, they’re just choosing more carefully. And in a landscape where clicks are easy, but conversions take work, it shows that working on the fundamentals pays off massively in such a busy market.
December 18, 2025
