33 Black Friday vs. Amazon Prime Day Statistics

Black Friday vs. Amazon Prime Day.

Are you ready for the ultimate showdown?

In one corner — Black Friday, the reigning champ. Weighing in with over thirty years of experience, Black Friday won’t go down without a fight.

In the other corner — Amazon Prime Day, the up-and-coming contender. Can this young upstart go ten rounds with the champ? Are their trade secrets and wiles a match for the heavyweight?

That’s what we wanted to know when compiling this list of statistics.

Can Amazon’s massive marketplace outperform the thousands of businesses that offer Black Friday specials?

Are shoppers ready to forgo the traditional shopping thrill for a quieter online experience?

In the end, there can be only one ultimate winner.

In this article, we’ll see if either company can strike a decisive blow.

Are they evenly matched, or will one contender end up flat on the canvas?

Read on to find out!

You’re sure to be surprised by the results.

Black Friday vs. Amazon Prime Day Statistics (Editor’s Choice):

  • US shoppers spent $8.9 billion online on Black Friday 2021.
  • The average discount on Black Friday 2021 was 24%.
  • 154.4 million Americans shopped during Black Friday 2021.
  • Amazon Prime Day sales in 2021 were $11.2 billion.
  • Small-business product sales increased by over 100% during Prime Day 2021.
  • The number of independent retailers running Prime Day sales increased by 4,285% between 2015 and 2019.

Break-Down of the Major Shopping Holidays Competing for Our Money

Before we start our comparison of Prime Day vs. Black Friday, let’s go over the leading sales holidays of the year.

Black Friday is in a league of its. It’s not the only shopping holiday that brings in a lot of money, though. Here’s a run-down of the others and when they run.

  • Black Friday: Held the Friday after Thanksgiving
  • Amazon Prime Day: Held in July
  • Cyber Monday: Held the Monday after Thanksgiving
  • Chinese Singles Day: Held on the 11th of September
  • Cyber 5: This includes all the sales from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday

Black Friday

Black Friday is traditionally part of the American holiday shopping celebration. It’s not a federal holiday, but many states treat it as a public holiday. The tradition of shopping on the day after Thanksgiving started in the 1920s.

Black Friday in the format we know today started gaining popularity in the 1980s. But it started to become recognized as the top American sales day in the 2000s.

Why Black Friday?

There are several theories as to how Black Friday got its name. One theory is that it comes from the profits that stores register, putting them “in the black” financially. Another is that the police coined the term because of the chaotic traffic conditions during the holidays.

Whatever the reason for the name, let’s start this Black Friday vs. Amazon Prime showdown now.

1. Shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving has been a tradition since 1924.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Back then, Macey’s Day Parade heralded the start of the Christmas shopping season. Over the years, Black Friday has taken on a life of its own. Retailers now hold the event on the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving.

Interestingly, Americans used to celebrate Thanksgiving on the last day of November. In 1941, The American Congress voted to change this to the fourth Thursday of November. It’s been that way ever since. So Black Friday always falls on the fourth Friday of November. While it’s not an official holiday, many Americans take the day off. They then enjoy a long weekend and the Black Friday deals.

2. Black Friday 2022 will be held on the 25th of November.

(Source: The Black Friday)

In 2022, it’ll move to the 25th of November. But do look out for specials ahead of time. Some retailers launch their sales a few days before Friday to get an edge over the competition. For Black Friday deals 2021, some retailers offered deals days and even weeks earlier.

3. Over a fifth of all Black Friday searches come from the US.

(Source: Statista)

Black Friday began in the US but has become a worldwide shopping event.

In 2021, 22% of all “Black Friday” online searches came from the US. Germany followed, accounting for 12.9% of the search interest, while Brazil ranked third, with 11%. The UK wasn’t far behind at 10.3%.

4. Shoppers spent $8.9 billion online on Black Friday in 2021 in the United States.

(Source: Adobe Digital Insights)

US Black Friday sales have seen exponential growth over the years. But 2021 online shopping statistics are down 1.3% from the previous year.

According to analysts, the slight decrease was a result of the pandemic-related supply-chain disruptions. In November 2021, out-of-stock messages were up 261% compared to November 2019.

The decline could be in response to rising costs too. Credit card debt statistics show that American consumers are borrowing more to cope with day-to-day expenses.

5. Black Friday was the busiest shopping day in the United States in 2021.

(Source: Sensormatic)

The time from the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day, November 21, 2021, through Saturday, January 1, 2022, was the busiest of the year. The 10-day period accounted for 35.8% of the total season’s shopper traffic.

As expected, Black Friday was the busiest day of the year, followed by Super Saturday (December 18) and the Thursday before Christmas (December 23).

6. 154.4 million Americans shopped during Black Friday 2021.

(Source: NRF)

A total of 154.5 million Americans shopped during Black Friday 2021. This exceeded the NRF estimate of 108 million.

Overall, the shopping season set a new record, with 180 million people making purchases online or in-store during the 2021’s holiday season.

7. 43% of online orders on Black Friday in 2021 were via mobile.

(Source: Adobe Digital Insights)

Online orders made via mobile accounted for 43% of the total. This was a 2% increase over 2020.

This growing trend should be considered by marketers. Providing a smooth mobile experience must be a priority for all brands participating in the shopping event.

8. 37% of Americans feel that Black Friday specials aren’t worth braving the crowds.

(Source: Statista, GLK)

Around 37% of people in the US say that they don’t want to go to a physical store because of the crowd.

We can’t blame them, considering 69% of sales-related injuries during the holiday weekend happen on Black Friday. These are mostly minor fisticuffs when shoppers fight over the limited items available. There have, however, been 11 deaths due to Black Friday shopping since the holiday started.

One of the primary dangers is being crushed by shoppers trying to get in. Victims may be knocked down and trampled. Violence occurring between shoppers has become a real issue.

9. Black Friday 2021 site traffic was 110% higher than on a typical day.

(Source: Bluecore)

Consumers are generally becoming more interested in finding great deals online instead of browsing physical stores.

In 2021, Black Friday site traffic was 110% higher than on a typical day. However, online traffic was 5% down compared to the 2020’s event when the COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines prevented many from visiting the malls.

10.  Almost one-fifth of shoppers say a discount of 50% would get them interested in Black Friday shopping.

(Source: Adobe Digital Insights)

The lure of big discounts is the main attraction for shoppers to Black Friday sales. In fact, around 19% of US adults say it would take a discount of 50% to get them interested in going shopping during Black Friday. Yet, this was double the average discount of 24% recorded during the 2021’s sales event.

11. Electronics were discounted by around 12% on Black Friday 2021.

(Source: Adobe Digital Insights)

Electronics like Samsung and TCL TVs and PlayStation 5 trended during Black Friday 2021. But the discount disappointed compared to previous years. Electronics promotions offered an average saving of 11.8% – much more modest than the 26% on Black Friday 2020.

Black Friday Around the World

While Black Friday originated in the US, the concept has spread globally. Currently, around 40 countries hold the annual shopping event. It’s found in entire North America, pretty much all EU states and many South and Central American countries. Australia and New Zealand, the Middle East, and even some African countries have also joined the tradition.

12. Over one-third of UK consumers were interested in Black Friday 2021 deals.

(Source: Statista)

The Black Friday bug has bitten British shoppers of all ages. Moore than one-third of UK consumers was interested in the 2021’s sales event and said they might make purchases. This marked a significant increase from the 25% rate recorded in 2020.

13. Generation X were the biggest Black Friday spenders in the UK in 2021.

(Source: Statista)

Survey data gathered ahead of Black Friday 2021 showed members of Generation X intended to spend an average of £359. Baby Boomers were close behind, anticipating to shop for around £310. Millennials came third, intending to spend £271.

14. Black Friday online sales in the United Kingdom were estimated at £2.24 billion.

(Source: Statista)

In-store spending was more modest at around £1.15 billion. Still, this marked a significant increase from 2020, when offline sales dropped nearly 34% amid the pandemic restrictions.

15. Men in the United Kingdom planned to spend an average of £145 more than women.

(Source: Statista)

On average, men expected to spend £335, while women expected to spend around £190.

This statistic is interesting. Do men really buy more? If so, why? Perhaps they buy high-value items that skew the numbers.

The Best Black Friday Deals in 2021

As mentioned above, the average discount during Black Friday 2021 was 24%. Let’s see what was trending and where were the biggest discounts.

16. Black Friday was the best day for furniture/bedding and tools/home improvement purchases.

(Source: Adobe Digital Insights)

In 2021, Black Friday was the best day to buy furniture/bedding and tools/home improvement items. While these categories saw the deepest discount, Americans’ favourites were the Barbie, Oculus VR, and Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals.

17. 17% of brands offered fewer discounts in 2021.

(Source: Sitecore)

In 2020, 77% of brands planned Black Friday promotions. A year later, this shrank to 60%. And of those who participated in the vent, 17% offered fewer discounts to protect their margins during the global supply shortage.

What Stores Have the Best Black Friday Deals?

Competition is high amongst retailers to land their share of the loot. Big retailers like Target and Amazon can offer significantly steep discounts.

For example, computer brand Lenovo offered up to 77% discounts. Meanwhile, one of the best Target Black Friday deals in 2021 was a smart TV for $349 off and a saving of up to $60 on Apple Watch and AirPods.

The downside, naturally, is that the larger brands often use this opportunity to move old stock. Consumers called out Nintendo for trying to pass off an inferior Switch.

Other retailers are bound to try and pull off the same trick.

Some of the More Unusual Sales Offers

Are you equipped for the zombie apocalypse?

If not, check out the Black Friday gun deals and arm yourself. Check out ammunition and knives, too — they’re usually all on special at the same time.

Aside from that, you can get almost anything at a discounted rate. Medical marijuana dealers, for example, also get in on the action.

How Do You Get the Best Deals on Black Friday?

You have to know your prices upfront. The biggest retailers don’t always offer the best deals. Some may increase their rates ahead of time to make discounts seem like an even better deal. Unfortunately, they’re relying on you being too scared of missing out to do proper research.

Our advice — don’t fall for the hype. Consider what you’ll be shopping for ahead of time. Then research the regular prices and the features that you need. Then, closer to the time, google “Walmart Black Friday deals,” for example.

Just be wary. Take the example of the Nintendo Switch that we mentioned earlier. It seemed like a good deal because you were getting a $60 game for free. To get that “free” game, though, you were sacrificing battery life.

As a gamer, what’s more important — saving $60 on a game or an extra few hours of playing time? Properly reading the Nintendo Black Friday ads 2021 and the conditions attached would have protected shoppers from making this mistake.

What to Expect on Black Friday 2022?

2022 will be another boom year for shoppers. Expect discounts in your favorite categories like fashion and electronics again. The primary difference is that in 2022, finding the right deal is likely to be easier.

In recent years, AI made a small showing in helping consumers choose the right product. This year, we can expect AI-assisted sales to increase significantly.

We’ll see the trend of shoppers choosing to use e-commerce options deepen even more. In addition, consumers who like in-store shopping will increasingly use click-and-collect options.

If you’re a retailer, you must improve your mobile shopping app. We’ll see even more consumers ordering off their cellphones going forward.

If you’re a consumer, keep your eyes peeled earlier than usual. Retailers will continue extending the deal’s validity to secure market share. This year, however, they’ll do so by starting their sales earlier.

Amazon Prime Day

Amazon introduced Prime Day in 2015 as a response to the Black Friday deals. The first Prime Day, on the 15th of July, 2015, marked the 20th anniversary of the founding of Amazon. Amazon billed it as “Black Friday in July.”

Amazon Prime members are the only ones who have access to the sale. Part of the reason behind creating the sale was to increase the number of Prime subscribers. As promotional campaigns go, it’s a pretty powerful way to boost subscriptions.

The date isn’t official. The sale started on the 15th of July every year up until 2020 when Amazon held the event in October. The retail giant pushed back the date to prevent its staff from the COVID-19. Also, the summer of 2020 was a hard time for the economy, with many people suffering the financial implications of the pandemic.

Below we’ve got our selection of the top Prime Day statistics.

Want even more?

Check out this motherload of Prime Day sales statistics.

18. Amazon Prime Day hours doubled in 2019.

(Source: Statista)

When first launched in 2015, Prime Day ran for 24 hours only. In 2017, Amazon extended the validity of the deals by six hours. In 2019, they upped the timespan to two full days.

Naturally, this increased the profitability of the event for Amazon. It also allows shoppers more time to take advantage of outstanding deals.

19. Prime Day sales increased by 71% between 2018 and 2019.

(Source: Statista)

That seems outstanding, considering the overall retail growth for the United States is 3.8% over the same period. What you must take into account, though, is that Amazon extended the sale period by 12 hours.

Work out the sales per hour rate and the landscape changes.

20. As of April 2021, there were 200 million Prime members globally.

(Source: Amazon)

This represents an increase of 50 million members from the end of 2020. Prime members pay a monthly subscription fee of $14.99 or an annual fee of $139 and get access to special deals, free and fast delivery services, as well as free games and books.
No wonder Amazon incentivizes customers to join Prime. Amazon revenue statistics show members spend four times more than non-Prime shoppers.

21. As of 2021, 73.5% of Americans were Prime members.

(Source: DigitalCommerce360)

According to estimates, Amazon has 147 million Prime members in the US.

Prime members get benefits such as free expedited shipping, unlimited streaming of movies and music, and thousands of books and magazines for free. There are other benefits.

If you add up the costs of just the streaming services and Kindle unlimited individually, a Prime membership might well make sense. The video streaming services aren’t as streamlined as with Netflix.

They do have all the basics, though. The Amazon Prime watch history allows you to start your videos from the same point that you left off. What more do you need?

22. Non-prime members spend around $600 on Amazon annually.

(Source: Statista)

It does seem that Amazon is correct in driving Prime subscriptions. Non-prime members spend, on average, just 42.5% of what Prime members do.

23. Prime members spend around $1,400 on Amazon annually.

(Source: Statista)

What does this stat have to do with Prime Day? Only Prime members get special offers on Prime Day. Free shipping is a big drawcard here.

24. Amazon Prime Day sales in 2021 reached $11.2 billion.

(Source: Statista)

Prime Day sales rose 6.1% in 2021. The shopping event yielded a record $11.2 billion in revenue. Interestingly, while Prime Day specials are available in 22 countries, 65% of the sales were generated in the US.

25. Over 73% of shoppers spent up to $250 during Prime Day 2021.

(Source: DigitalCommerce360)

While the total revenue hit a record, the average shopper’s budget wasn’t so impressive. Just over 45% of members spent up to $100, while 28.3% made purchases for no more than $250. A modest 0.7% of customers made $1,000+ orders.

26. Prime members bought 250 million items in 2021.

(Source: Amazon)

Amazon reportedly sold 250 million items during Prime Day 2021. Top sales included electronics and Amazon devices. As usual, parents preparing for back to school and college after the summer holidays also took advantage of the deals, buying:

  • 600,000 backpacks
  • 1 million laptops
  • 1 million headphones
  • 240,000 notebooks
  • 40,000 calculators
  • 220,000 Crayola products

42% of Prime Day shoppers purchased a gift for the 2021 holiday season.

(Source: DigitalCommerce360)

The holiday season may be well ahead of Prime Day, but a savvy deal hunter wouldn’t miss such an opportunity. In fact, 1.8% of shoppers purchased all of their gifts during the summer sales event.

28. Electronics and beauty were the most popular categories during Prime Day in 2021.

(Source: Amazon)

Amazon has revealed that the best-selling item categories in the US included:

  • tools
  • beauty
  • nutrition
  • baby care
  • electronics (including Amazon Devices)
  • apparel
  • household products

The best deals on Prime Day 2021 included:

  • iRobot Roomba 692 Robot Vacuum
  • Keurig K-Slim Coffee Maker
  • Apple Cider Vinegar Gummy Vitamins by Goli Nutrition
  • Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips

29. Amazon’s 2021 Prime Day was a record-breaker in many ways.

(Source: Amazon)

This was the most significant amount brought in for any Prime Day sale to date. According to Amazon, Prime Members saved more than on any Prime Day before.

What makes it impressive is that the company made more during the two-day sale than they did during Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. It’s fast becoming the preferred Amazon sale.

30. New Amazon Prime Music subscriptions hit a record in 2021.

(Source: Amazon)

Amazon Music Promotions in 2021 drove more sign-ups for Amazon Music Unlimited globally than any other Prime Day.

No wonder Amazon included the music streaming service in its early deals in 2022. Normally offering a 30-day trial, Amazon Music Unlimited was available for free for four months to Prime members who signed up in June 2022.

31. Small-business product sales doubled during Prime Day 2021.

(Source: Amazon) 

Customers spent over $1.9 billion on more than 70 million small-business products during the two weeks leading up to Prime Day 2021. This represented a more than 100% year-over-year increase in sales compared to Prime Day 2020.

During the promotional period, Amazon incentivized customers to shop with small businesses with a $10 discount per order.

32. Third-party vendors accounted for 36% of Amazon Prime Day sales in 2021.

(Source: Statista)

In 2021, third-party sellers accounted for approximately 36% of Amazon Prime Day sales, down from 48% in 2015. That leaves Amazon to cream 64% of the profits made on the platform during the sale.

Ironically though…

33. The number of independent retailers running Prime Day sales increased by 4,285% between 2015 and 2019.

(Source: Statista)

In 2015, only seven retailers operating independently of Amazon offered concurrent Prime Day sales. In 2019, that figure increased to 300. Retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and others have also begun launching their own sales events, competing for the Prime Day dollars.

Examples of the Best Prime Day Deals 2021

Deals vary by department, but some of the best deals last year included:

With discounts like these, it’s easy to see why Amazon Prime deals 2021 were so popular.

When Is Prime Day?

Prime Day usually happens in mid-July. The only exceptions were 2020, when Amazon decided to push the event to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2021, when the date was moved due to the rescheduled Olympics.

Let’s take a look at the timeline:

  • July 15, 2015
  • July 12, 2016
  • July 10, 2017
  • July 16, 2018
  • July 15, 2019
  • October 13, 2020
  • June 21, 2021

And when is Prime Day 2022?

For the first time in two years, Prime Day is returning to its typical July timeframe. Amazon will hold its 48-hour sales event from midnight on July 12 to midnight on July 13.

What to Expect on Amazon Prime Day 2022?

Are you excited about the next Prime Day sale? Want to know what to expect?

If we look at previous sales, some of the best Prime deals are on electronics. This is particularly the case with Amazon-branded products, like the Kindle products and smart speakers. Last year, the most in-demand prime deal days included electronic products.

Expect more of the same this year.

How to Prepare for Amazon Prime Day 2022?

For starters, don’t wait for the Prime Day to come. If you plan to take advantage of this year’s sales, get ready early.

Amazon offers teaser deals in the weeks leading to the event. TVs and streaming devices got discounted in June. Remember, you must be a Prime member to access these deals. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can get a 30-day free trial (6 months if you’re a student).

Once you set up your account, you can create a wish list. Amazon will notify you if any of the products go on Prime Day sales. Downloading the app is another smart move as it will provide you with a sneak peek ahead of the deals.

And what’s new on Amazon? The 2022 shopping bonanza features Prime Stampcard. The program offers Prime members a $10 credit toward Prime Day purchases for completing four tasks:

  • Stream a show on Prime Video
  • Listen to a song on Prime Music
  • Borrow a Prime Reading or Kindle Unlimited book
  • Make a Prime-shipping eligible purchase

In addition, members can now use Alexa to help members find the best Amazon Prime Day deals. The virtual assistant can notify you in advance of a promotion becoming available for an item you’re interested in. What’s more, with your permission, Alexa can order it on your behalf when the deal goes live.

Other ways you can get the most from Prime Day deals include:

  • Using the Amazon Prime credit card to get cash back on Amazon purchases during Prime Day
  • Using tools like Amazon Assistant, Keepa, CamelCamelCamel and Honey, which monitor and let you compare prices
  • Keeping an eye on Lightning Deals. These are limited-time offers that give shoppers a short window to purchase and check out before missing out on the savings.

Is Prime Day or Black Friday Better?

If you’re looking for the most comprehensive range of deals, Black Friday is the better option. Amazon itself offers Black Friday deals. Added to that, you’ve got a wider range of retailers to choose from during this sale.

On the other side, Amazon Prime Day doesn’t create the kind of chaos that Black Friday does. You don’t have to wait in line for hours for the stores to open. You also don’t have to deal with other frenzied shoppers.

That said, you must have a Prime membership to take advantage of these deals. The discounts usually make the membership cost worthwhile. You might, however, get similar deals at other retailers online without having to pay for the privilege.

Which Shopping Holiday Has the Better (Best) Deals?

Talk about a hard call to make.

To answer, we’d have to say that it would depend on the retailers you usually buy from. It’s not a great deal if you purchase something for the sake of buying it.

If you’re looking for the widest range of deals, Black Friday comes out tops.

Our advice? If you want a popular branded product, Black Friday might be the better option. You could, for example, find iPad Black Friday deals easily. You’re not looking at deep discounts, but you’re getting some cash off.

Amazon Prime Day options in these categories may be limited. Apple and Amazon have only buried the hatchet in the last couple of years. Before this happened, you couldn’t buy an Apple device on Amazon.

While that’s no longer the case, the example still stands. The rivalry between the two companies previously meant that you’d only get iPhone Black Friday deals, not Prime deals. Amazon’s not in the habit of making friends, so you might find better deals for top brands off the site.

Don’t discount other sales days here, though. Waiting for Cyber Monday can earn you even deeper discounts as merchants try to shift leftover stock. It’s something of a gamble, though. The deals may sell out before Cyber Monday rolls around.

Sign up for marketing from the retailers that you usually frequent. They’ll often send out sneak peeks of the deals that they’re offering.

And the Heavyweight Sales Global Title Goes To

To be honest, it was never really a fair fight. While Amazon stocks a massive range of products, it is just one retailer. If we were comparing just the American stats for the two companies, Amazon might have stood a better chance.

As it stands, though, these two contenders are battling in two utterly different weight classes. In the ultimate Black Friday vs. Amazon Prime showdown, Black Friday delivers a solid knock-out punch.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Fiona worked in the retail banking industry for 16 years. She felt that she could put her experience to good use in helping small businesses grow. Web writing was a great fit and sparked a new career for her. She believes that her flexible working schedule gives her more time to spend painting. She loves being at home all day with her schnauzers and her cat. For Fiona, it's furbaby Friday every day of the week.

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