Black Friday 2025 Sees Significant Shift in Consumer Spending Behavior

Overview of Black Friday 2025

The latest report from Accertify for Black Friday 2025 indicates a dramatic shift in consumer spending habits. According to data from over 52.5 million transactions, consumers made significantly more purchases this year, although the average amount spent per transaction hit a four-year low. This trend highlights evolving consumer preferences as shoppers opt for smaller, more frequent purchases rather than making large expenditures all at once.

Key Findings

1. Increase in Transaction Volume: Transaction volume rose by an impressive 24% compared to last year, showing a newfound enthusiasm for frequent shopping.
2. Decrease in Average Purchase Amount: Surprisingly, the average transaction value dropped by 17%, settling at $115.46, marking the lowest average since 2021. This suggests that many consumers are seeking to spread their holiday spending over multiple transactions rather than concentrating it in fewer, larger purchases.
3. Retail Sector Observations: The retail sector specifically observed an upward trend with retail transactions increasing by 11.4% to a total of 27 million, even as the average purchase amount decreased by 7%. Despite an overall increase in spending, the growth primarily stemmed from the volume of transactions rather than the average dollar amount spent.

Detailed Transaction Data

Accertify managed a total of $6.060 billion in transactions on Black Friday, marking a 3% increase from 2024 and the first time exceeding $6 billion in a single day. Transaction volume soared to 52.5 million, compared to 42.3 million last year. The peak shopping hour was at 11:00 AM (Central Time), with 3.27 million transactions processed worth $392 million.

Consumer Insights

Mark Michelon, the CEO of Accertify, emphasized that this phenomenon represents a significant change in the way consumers approach Black Friday. "Consumers seem to be reinventing the shopping experience, opting to distribute their spending across multiple smaller transactions rather than committing to one major purchase," he explained. This may be influenced by economic caution, the rise of buy-now-pay-later options, or the impulsive nature encouraged by mobile shopping.

Industry Variations

Not all sectors experienced the same trends:

- Airlines: Transactions surged by 19% to 2.16 million, with total dollars increasing by 18% to $931 million, and average transaction values remained stable year-over-year.
- Travel and Entertainment: The volume of transactions here remained consistent, while the total dollars grew by 13.5% year-over-year, elevating the average transaction value by 13.2% to $302.66.

Impact on Fraud Management

The shift towards a higher volume of lower-value transactions presents new challenges for merchants in managing fraud risks. Accertify's clients reported an impressive approval rate of 99.25%, up from 98.93% in 2024, largely thanks to Accertify's AI-driven fraud prevention models that adapt to the changing consumer behavior. "More transactions create additional complexity for fraud teams, and leveraging machine learning helps merchants navigate these changes while maintaining high approval rates and protecting the consumer experience," Michelon noted.

Conclusion

The insights gleaned from Black Friday 2025 showcase an evolving landscape of consumer behavior, with shoppers opting for frequent, smaller purchases rather than larger ones. As companies navigate these changes, the challenge will be to harness technology effectively to mitigate risks and enhance customer experience. For more information about Accertify and its services in risk management and fraud prevention, please visit www.accertify.com.

About Accertify

Accertify, Inc. is a leading provider of unified risk decision-making platforms, specializing in fraud prevention, chargeback management, account protection, abuse prevention, and payment gateway solutions for clients across various industries worldwide. Their products and services safeguard digital commerce by reducing fraud loss and simplifying business processes while protecting the consumer experience.