Black Friday has long been the pinnacle of holiday shopping, enticing throngs of consumers with tantalizing deals and discounts. Over the past five years, apparel retailers have navigated various shifts in consumer behavior and economic fluctuations that have significantly impacted Black Friday traffic.
Our analysis digs deep into these trends, uncovering patterns in consumer visits and shopping habits that have emerged, helping retailers to strategize their approaches for future holiday seasons. Read on to discover how the landscape of apparel retail on Black Friday has evolved and what it means for retailers aiming to capture the attention—and wallets—of shoppers during this lucrative period.
To see how well your stores did this Black Friday or predict traffic for the next big retail holiday, book a call to get a demo.
Key takeaways
- Total visits across all retailers were down -4.59% in 2024 year-on-year.
- Apparel visit share was the highest on record in 2024 at 14.1%.
- Visits to malls during the Black Friday holiday period were +70.11% higher in 2024 than 2020, showing remarkable recovery post-pandemic.
- Oklahoma (6.15%) saw the highest visit growth year on year, while Washington (-8.8%) saw the sharpest drop. Retailers should look to their local market to benchmark expectations.
Retail achieves a hard-won recovery for Black Friday
Black Friday week visits in the past few years have been up and down for retailers. Total visits across all retailers were down -4.59% in 2024 compared to 2023. This is a vast improvement from 2020 when visits fell below two billion, visits were -29% visits year on year, and apparel visit share fell to -4.54% – the lowest visit share we have on record.
In comparison, 2024 was a success to 2020, however didn’t match 2023’s numbers across the board.
Apparel retailers see a mixed bag across the States on Black Friday
On average, visits to apparel retail fell across the US by -4.13% year on year. Total visits across all retailers were down -4.59% in 2024 compared to 2023, so apparel was in line with the overall industry in 2024.
Apparel did outperform in some states including:
- Florida 3.17%
- New Jersey: 3.36%
- Oklahoma: 6.15%
- Idaho: 2.56%
Other states like Texas also saw marginal decreases (-0.49%) and found 2024 to be in line with 2023’s performance.
States such as California (-5.76%) and Washington (-8.8%) saw vast decreases, underperforming when compared to the average, but local factors such as rising costs of living or consumers turning to other retailers instead could be at play.
Our data shows every single state saw an increase in foot traffic during Black Friday week in 2023. This appears to have been a peak shopping period post-pandemic where consumers felt confident in their spending. 2024 did not match these levels in terms of sheer foot traffic volume on average due to a variety of factors, including economic. However, this is not unique to apparel.
Apparel retailers find stability in Black Friday
For apparel retailers in particular, the past few years have seen stablisation in terms of visits. This year, during the week of Black Friday, visits were down -2.08% but visit share was the highest we have on record at a total of 14.1% (up by a marginal 0.36% year on year).
We can say with confidence that apparel benefits greatly from Black Friday and visits have stabilized since the pandemic across the US, although some states saw more benefit than others. Unless there are major shocks and strategic decisions are made, apparel retailers should expect relatively stable visits in comparison to last year.
Retailers should consider their region (which we cover below) and overall market to get a better idea of benchmark performance and set expectations.
Apparel retail visit share stays steady on Black Friday
While some in the retail industry fluctuate, apparel retailers have remained stable in the past four years in visit share. 2020 was an exception and the only year we have when apparel visit share fell below 13%. Otherwise an average visit share of 13.61% is in line with historical performance.
2024 saw apparel retailers achieve the highest visit share of any Black Friday week at 14.10% which is a marginal increase of 0.36% year on year and in line with expectations. This is a visit share ovrer 4% higher than 2019 when consumers turned to other retailers (any many turned away from visiting in-store altogether).
To see how well your stores did this Black Friday or predict traffic for the next big retail holiday, book a call to get a demo.
Visits to malls and non-malls
Visits to malls during the week of Black Friday have greatly improved since 2020 levels. Our data shows a 70.11% difference in the number of total visits when comparing 2020 to 2024. For peak visits, consumers flocked to malls in 2023 – visits dropped by -3.15% in 2024 year on year, but 2024 was in line with performance when comparing it to the past few years and the second highest year below 2023 for the total number of visits to malls across America.
The total visit share for malls was also 0.10% higher than 2023, a marginal increase that we can say 2024’s performance for malls was stable and likely followed expectations for most malls.
Total mall visit share reached over 84% in 2024, while non-mall visit share was 15.18%, proving the popularity of malls over non-mall locations during Black Friday. Mall locations enable eager consumers to shop multiple locations during the shopping holiday with ease.
The big apparel retail winners of Black Friday
Every year, the anticipation builds as Black Friday approaches, promising eager shoppers unbeatable deals. For apparel retailers, this day can be a game-changer, with standout brands capturing the spotlight through savvy marketing and irresistible bargains.
More than just numbers, Black Friday 2024 showcases strategic triumphs in the retail world. Let’s uncover the brands that strategically positioned themselves ahead of the curve, drawing in crowds and clinching top spots on shopping lists across the nation.
Nike used targetted campaigns and discounts
Nike pushed sale prices during Black Friday 2024 by offering discount codes of an extra 25% discount code on top of already discounted prices. Emails were sent to loyal customers delivering the discount codes and offering early access to sale products. This strategy definitely seems to have been successful!
Black Friday is undoubtably a peak event for Nike. 2024 saw Nike massively outperform the apparel market, which saw visits decrease by over -4%, while Nike visits grew year on year by over 70% during the week of Black Friday.
Friday, by far, saw the highest volume of foot traffic and year on year growth. But Saturday also saw an increase of over 15%.
Nordstrom offered major discounts on big names
Nordstrom found massive success during Black Friday sales in 2024 while other retailers struggled to maintain 2023 performance levels. The retailer offered savings of up to 70% on major brands such as Free People, UGG, and Steve Madden, conjuring a social media and fashion news storm of interest.
Nordstrom had a +68.45% year on year foot traffic increase during Black Friday week. Friday saw highest visit growth, while Thursday and Saturday remained at the similar levels to 2023
Old Navy shoppers flock in-store
During the week of Black Friday, visits to Old Navy stores were +82.96% higher than 2023 levels. This meant more than 7 million visitors to Old Navy stores across the states on the day of Black Friday.
Old Navy offered large discounts on products, including up to 50% on a wide range in-store and online. Many featured offers were included only on Black Friday and Thanksgiving, adding to the excitement and limited-time offer exclusitivity.
Michael Kors saw a big jump in traffic
Michael Kors had a great success during Black Friday in 2024, seeing foot traffic visits of 107.37% higher than 2023 levels. The week saw over 1.5 million visitors to Michael Kors’ stores with Friday being the most active day for shoppers, followed by Saturday. Like Nike, the retailer offered exclusive access to Black Friday deals days in advance to loyal customers, and hefty discounts on desired items such as handbags.
Where do your stores stand among Black Friday’s winners?
Retailers already know how their stores are performing. But how do you measure Black Friday’s impact? Using foot traffic data and spend insights, retailers can compare how well stores are doing compared to the market and track if campaigns are having the right impact on foot traffic levels.
To see how well your stores did this Black Friday or predict traffic for the next big retail holiday, book a call to get a demo.
