A little over a decade ago, Black Friday was the definition of a retail event. Shoppers would line up before a store opened, often long before they would even consider waking up on any other day, in hopes of snagging a doorbuster deal.
The day that used to define the start of the holiday shopping season has become less relevant as consumer habits have shifted
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A little over a decade ago, Black Friday was the definition of a retail event. Shoppers would line up before a store opened, often long before they would even consider waking up on any other day, in hopes of snagging a doorbuster deal.
These days, the die-hard deal-hunters might still do that, but the majority of consumers are doing their holiday shopping differently. And that's threatening Black Friday's standing as the biggest shopping holiday of the year.
A new study from Quantum Metric finds that 45% of consumers started holiday shopping before Black Friday, and one in four will finish before Thanksgiving. That means the drive to hit the malls and fight for the best price on a big-screen TV has been diminished.
Perhaps more surprising, though, is the finding that holiday sales in October aren't proving effective either. Just 15% of consumers took advantage of those, Quantum found. Instead, shoppers are buying gifts in a timeframe that suits them, rather than being led by one-time retail events.
Holiday shopping, in other words, has evolved into a year-round event.
What's more, shoppers are leaning into AI to help them find the best deals. Some 33% of people surveyed by Deloitte for its 2025 Holiday Retail Survey said they plan to use AI as part of their holiday shopping — which is double the number who did last year.
"Consumer adoption of gen AI shows that expectations are shifting toward personalization and efficiency," the firm wrote last month. "Shoppers now expect instant recommendations tailored to their preferences, budgets, and recipients, raising the bar for retailers’ digital experiences."
To meet these expectations, Deloitte suggested retailers could embed tools like AI-powered gift finders, style assistants, or deal copilots directly into their sites or apps.
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