Black Friday 2025 is officially underway, and the retail landscape is already proving to be one of the most competitive in memory. Consumers are cautious, platform costs are rising, and new AI-driven platform changes are altering the rules of engagement.
Based on our exclusive "Black Friday Update" webinar, we've distilled the most critical, data-driven insights from IMRG, YouGov, and our own agency data. Here are the 10 key takeaways and actions you need to implement right now to win the peak season.
While early October trading was soft, it wasn't due to a lack of interest. The GfK major purchase index is up, indicating that consumers have been deliberately delaying both luxury and essential purchases in anticipation of the sales.
Action: Your marketing must be sharp enough to convert this high-volume, built-up demand now that the sales have started.
Consumers are skeptical. YouGov data shows that 63% of shoppers believe "mega sale" discounts are misleading. This trust deficit is the single biggest barrier to conversion.
Action: Lead with aggressive Price Trust Messaging. Implement price guarantees, competitor price-matching claims, and "Lowest Price Ever" banners to break down this skepticism immediately.
Don't panic if your Day 1 ROAS looks soft. Our data shows that on Black Friday last year, 43% of sales were attributed to clicks that originated before the day itself.
Action: Trust the conversion delay. Shoppers are doing their research now. Keep your mid-funnel budgets stable, knowing that returning visitors will convert later in the week.
It is more expensive to get in front of customers this year. Across our agency portfolio, we are seeing an average Cost-Per-Click (CPC) increase of +12% year-on-year in Paid Search.
Action: Every click must count. Ensure your budget is laser-focused on high-intent terms and that your landing pages are optimised to convert this more expensive traffic.
November is the pivot point. Consumers, who spent October on generic "discovery" searches (e.g., "best winter coat"), are now shifting to high-intent "brand" searches (e.g., "Brand X winter coat sale").
Action: Allocate sufficient budget to your brand campaigns in Paid Search to capture this returning, high-intent audience.
Meta’s new ad algorithm, "Andromeda," is actively penalising creative that it deems too similar. Simply changing the headline on the same image is no longer enough to be seen as "new."
Action: You must run true creative diversity. Mix your ad types (video, static, UGC, graphic animation) and styles (lifestyle vs. product-focused) to ensure your ads maintain reach and velocity.
Influencers are the #1 channel for long-term sales effect, beating even TV and linear video. Meta is now officially recommending that 20% of your Q4 budget be spent on partnership/influencer ads.
Action: Leverage creators and platforms like LTK as a core part of your sales strategy. Their ability to build trust (see Takeaway #2) and drive high-quality traffic is non-negotiable this year.
The battle is no longer just for voucher codes. The real race is for placement in high-authority editorial gift guides, "best of" lists, and, crucially, the new AI-powered search overviews (like those from Linkby).
Action: Work with your affiliate and PR teams now to get your products featured in these high-trust, high-ranking content placements.
A major margin-killer is "code leakage." This happens when a shopper with a site-wide discount arrives at checkout, and a standalone browser extension automatically applies an additional code it found, stacking the discounts and potentially giving away more than you hoped.
Action: Audit your voucher codes and browser extension partners immediately. Ensure you are aware of your live codes and how they interact with your onsite offer, are you happy with how these stack?
The market has split. Brands like Argos and Boots have gone live early, focusing on Price Trust. Brands like M&S and IKEA are holding back, focusing on Margin and Brand Identity.
Action: Decide which strategy is yours. The losing position is in the middle: offering weak discounts that erode margin while also diluting your brand message.
The 2025 peak season demands agility. The winning formula lies in building trust with a skeptical consumer, diversifying your creative to satisfy new platform algorithms, and strategically protecting your margins from hidden costs.
To get the low down on all of our insights, you can watch our full webinar on our Black Friday updates here.
Want to discuss how these 10 insights apply directly to your brand? Contact our team today for a last-minute Q4 strategy check-in.
