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Black Friday statistics 2023

Australians will spend $6.7 billion billion on sale days during November, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

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By

Sophie Wallis

Updated

Fact checked

How many Australians will be shopping on Black Friday 2023?

Finder's recent survey of 1,063 Australians reveals that 46% of Australians – equivalent to 9.3 million people – have or plan to shop during the big sales events of 2023.

Black Friday (30%), Boxing Day (26%), and Cyber Monday (14%) are the most popular sales events.

The research shows Aussies have already spent $6 billion and are looking to spend a further $6.7 billion on a variety of products including clothes, beauty, gadgets and travel.

The data shows young Aussies are keen to get spending. More than half of Gen Z (64%) have shopped or plan to shop the sales, followed by 61% of Millennials.

How much are we spending?

The average shopper is planning to fork out $727 this sales season on big sales events like Black Friday. Interestingly, men ($847) will be spending significantly more than women ($614).

Baby Boomers will be the most responsible with their money, spending an average of $580. Gen Y on the other hand will be letting loose, shelling out $858 each at the shops.

What are we spending on?

Clothes and shoes are the most popular shopping item, with 61% of Aussies planning to upgrade their wardrobe.

This is followed by electronics and gadgets, where 43% are planning to splurge.

Spending is on the up

Finder analysis of ABS data shows that the average retail spend per person has increased by 38% between 2008 and 2023 – including a 4% year-on-year jump in 2023.

How has interest in Black Friday changed over time?

Until 2019, interest in Black Friday had steadily increased for as long as the Internet has been around. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted this trend, and global search volume for Black Friday fell 39% in 2020. This trend has continued over the last two years with search volume in 2022 down 49% from the 2020 peak. Interest picked back up again in 2023, possibly as people across the globe look to deal with higher inflation and interest rates.

Aussie brands have clearly embraced the American phenomenon. Tech retailer JB HI-FI leads the pack as the most commonly searched retailer for Black Friday deals in Australia. Web searches for Black Friday deals from JB HI-FI are 36% higher than those from Apple, the second most common retailer.

Local stalwarts Harvey Norman, Kmart and Myer all tie for third, beating out Amazon which ranked second behind Walmart when we last did this analysis across global searches.

With retailers like Dyson, JB Hi-Fi and Amazon among the most popular places to score a Black Friday bargain, is it any wonder tech products top web searches during the sale?

As far as generic terms go, people are most interested in finding discounted laptops, smart TVs and microwaves according to SEMrush data.

The most searched-for devices for Black Friday in 2022 included Nintendo Switch, Playstation and Apple AirPods.

Early Black Friday deals

Here are a handful of early-bird Black Friday tech deals, handpicked by our shopping experts.

  • $550 off select Dyson appliances: Dyson's Black Friday sale has started early with up to $550 off some of its best appliances.
  • Up to 60% off Lenovo laptops: Use the discount code BLACKFRIDAY to receive up to 60% off selected Lenovo laptops across business, all-in-ones and gaming.
  • Save $20 on Apple Airpods Pros: Amazon has the Airpods Proswith MagSafe Case down to $379 right now, down from the regular RRP of $399.
  • Apple watches from $394: Shop the Apple Watch at Amazon and save up to $460. Prices start at $394. Valid for a limited time only at Amazon.
  • Up to $500 off Samsung TVs: Valid for a limited time only at Samsung. The sale includes the 65-inch QN85C Neo QLED 4K Smart TV - down from $3499 to $2,999

To see the full list of deals, head to our complete Black Friday shopping guide.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is one of the busiest retail holidays, falling on the Friday following Thanksgiving. This year, Black Friday is 24 November 2023.

Black Friday past, present and future

YearThanksgiving (Thursday)Black Friday
201624 November 201625 November 2016
201723 November 201724 November 2017
201822 November 201823 November 2018
201928 November 201929 November 2019
202026 November 202027 November 2020
202125 November 202126 November 2021
202224 November 202225 November 2022
202323 November 202324 November 2023
202428 November 202429 November 2024
202527 November 202528 November 2025
202626 November 202627 November 2026

How did it start? How much has it grown in popularity?

The Black Friday shopping event has its roots in Philadelphia, where police officers used it derogatorily to describe the chaotic shopping day that follows Thanksgiving, which was typically marred by crowds and shoplifters, according to History.com.

It wasn't until the late 1980s that Black Friday found mainstream popularity as a day for the general public to find a good deal. While overall sales are up for Black Friday by and large, its popularity has dipped over the last few years, with retailers reporting drops in physical sales.

Online retailers are the big winners on Black Friday, resulting in the syphoning off of a subsequent sale day for online shopping called Cyber Monday, which happens the Monday following Black Friday.

Cyber Monday past, present and future

YearBlack FridayCyber Monday
201625 November 201628 November 2016
201724 November 201727 November 2017
201823 November 201826 November 2018
201929 November 20192 December 2019
202027 November 202030 November 2020
202126 November 202129 November 2021
202225 November 202228 November 2022
202324 November 202327 November 2023
202429 November 20242 December 2024
202528 November 20251 December 2025
202627 November 202630 November 2026

What are the other big shopping days?

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Analyst

Sophie Wallis is an insights analyst with a passion for data storytelling. She spends her time turning complex data into digestible stories and uncovering new consumer trends. When she isn't working, you'll find her planning her next overseas holiday or bingeing on a big novel. Sophie has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Melbourne. See full bio

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