Black Friday 2025 Begins Early, Driving Record‑High Sales Before the Big Day

Black Friday 2025 Was a Retail Blowout

UK’s fastest e‑commerce platform, Visualsoft, told us that Black Friday revenue shot up 14 % year‑over‑year.
That’s a clear sign that shoppers were still hungry for deals, even when the weather outside looks like it’s been on strike.

What Fuelled the Numbers?

Orders jumped by 12 %
Average Order Value (AOV) barely nudged higher, up 2 % compared to 2022

During the four‑day window from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, revenue outpaced inflation.
The average increase across those days was 8 %, with Friday at 14 % and Monday at 15 %.

Retail Voices

Chris Fletcher, VP of Operations at Visualsoft said, “Friday and Monday were a hit. The weekend alone saw modest gains, buffered by inflation, yet it’s still a win for retail, especially amid a cost‑of‑living crunch and a slow market.”

Sector Highlights

Flooring, rugs & carpets: +88 % YoY
Gifts, gadgets & games: +95 % on Saturday, average +30 % for the period
Vaping sales: +40 % YoY
Electrical goods: down 31 %, yet peaked before Black Friday as shoppers snatched early deals
Fashion: +30 % YoY
Lingerie & underwear: +70 % YoY
Health, beauty & cosmetics: fell ≈10 % YoY, but still scored an 11 % conversion rate on Black Friday
Jewellery: dropped 6 % YoY

Footfall & Timing Beat

Retailers saw more traffic online before Black Friday. That early buzz means shoppers are checking out offers ahead of the frenzy—nice tactic!

Orders on Black Friday follow a predictable rhythm: a spike at midnight, a sharp rise from 6 am to 10 am as people pre‑work fighting for bargains, a slowdown during the day, a second lift around 7–8 pm, then a swift decline after 9 pm.

Payment Preferences

Buy‑Now‑Pay‑Later still under‑performed that week.
Apple Pay stole 25 % of the Gross Merchandising Value (GMV).
Mobile purchases grew 3 % YoY and are up 60 % overall—shoppers love buying on the go.

Marketing Wins

Ian Hyde, Head of Digital Performance at Visualsoft stressed, “If retailers plan ahead and run smart drip‑feed email campaigns backed by killer discounts, they can keep the appetite alive all of November.”

Gary Murray, Head of eCommerce at Leaders added: “We’re thrilled to smash previous sales records. Visualsoft’s strategy helped us hit the highest daily revenue ever—it’s a solid win for our team and the leads.”