We’re always interested to see how consumers are thinking about spending as we head into the holiday season. 

A good way to do that in the lead-up to a big shopping event like Black Friday is to do some comparative benchmarking. 

The lead-up to Black Friday

Using Brandwatch Consumer Research, we visualized five years’ worth of online mentions relating to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. 

As you can see, online hype around these shopping events has fallen over the last five years. 

While 2024 mentions show a promising uptick, with not long to go until the big day when the data was pulled, looking at them against a comparative period from 2023 shows mentions are up just 1%. 

It’s not exactly an exciting outlook for retailers with high hopes for the coming weekend compared to previous years. That said, the days of unprecedented growth in both hype and sales are over. As NBC reports, sales growth has slowed over time.  

How are consumers feeling about Black Friday and other shopping holidays in 2024?

Breaking the mentions out by emotion, we find a fairly cheerful story. In sentiment-categorized emotions, joy is the dominant feeling in conversations, accounting for around 58%. 

Within joyful mentions consumers shared their excitement over Black Friday deals and sales, spotlighting additional perks like fast shipping or free gifts with purchase, with the latter scoring 5.8k mentions between November 9 – 24, 2024. 

Mentions with a surprised context are growing as we get closer to Black Friday in 2024, with some consumers sharing their surprise and delight at the early deals on offer. 

That said, there’s plenty of frustration in consumer conversations.  

Encountering issues with early Black Friday deals is a major source of frustration for consumers. Many reported hidden terms and conditions, misleading advertising, price manipulations, shipping delays, issues with product listings and specifications, and unresponsive customer service. A lack of transparency and false promises often led to disappointment and eroded trust in brands.  

Reflecting on last year’s shopping experience involving a major e-commerce brand, one consumer shared on Reddit: “I guess now would be a good time to price track because I’m sure a lot of retail places will artificially inflate their prices prior to Black Friday to make it seem like a ‘good deal.’” The comment resonated with many Redditors, earning 1.2k upvotes.  

In mentions with a sad context, consumers expressed disappointment over the lack of significant discounts and genuine deals during early Black Friday sales.  

Many reported feeling unimpressed by the offers available. And some people criticized retailers for offering minimal discounts and unappealing deals, such as useless or off-season items, leading to customer reluctance to make purchases altogether. 

The perceived lack of value has left some consumers less enthusiastic about the sales event.

Some brands, like Tampa International Airport, joined the Black Friday conversation with well-timed humor that matched the disappointed vibe, posting: "Unless I see ‘flight was $2,300, now $13.88,’ I’m not interested in a Black Friday sale.” This post generated lots of positive engagement for the brand.  

Black Friday through the lens of 2024

Ongoing cost of living challenges 

With the cost of living continuing to be an issue, some consumers took to social media to criticize the non-essential items on sale for Black Friday. This X user urged companies to cut prices on food instead of electronics.  

We’re less prepared for gift-giving 

We tracked 49.5k mentions of Christmas in the Black Friday / Cyber Monday conversation between November 9 – 24, 2024, down 17% compared to the two-week period before Thanksgiving in 2023. With fewer consumers talking about how they’re preparing for holiday gift-giving, this could hit retailers who rely on gift purchases. 

Gadget buyers are focused on getting the best value 

As the holiday shopping season approaches, budget is an important consideration for consumers. Black Friday discussions that included an element of intent to purchase reveal that consumers are being strategic about purchasing electronics, carefully evaluating features, prices, and overall value.  

From building gaming PCs on a set budget to finding the perfect pair of noise-canceling headphones, savvy consumers are cost and value-driven, and they are looking to maximize their spending power.  

Our recent research for the CPG industry in the State of Social report shows how platforms like Temu are changing shopping habits. They’ve made everyday electronics more accessible by offering affordable and handy home gadgets consumers enjoy using.  

Our latest Consumer Tech Trends report also highlights the popularity of budget electronics. These “must-have” products on websites like Temu and TikTok Shop often incentivize consumers to buy gadgets they didn't know they needed. 

We tracked 27k mentions of “budget” in Black Friday-related discussions between November 9 – 24, 2024.  

How can brands use this information?

Brands should pay close attention to changing consumer attitudes, needs, and desires and use these insights to refine their marketing strategies. 

By monitoring what consumers are looking for, brands can create targeted promotions that resonate, sparking interest without overwhelming consumers with too many or irrelevant offers.  

Focusing on meeting consumer expectations ensures that Black Friday isn’t just about sales, but also about building long-term brand loyalty. 

Check out these Black Friday tips for social media managers from the Brandwatch team.