RetailNext, the leading in-store traffic analytics provider used by more than 560 of the world’s most recognized retail brands, today released its full 2025 Black Friday Weekend traffic and sales report. The data shows a clear slowdown in store visits across the four-day period, as shoppers weighed inflation, weather disruption, and extended promotional calendars when deciding whether to visit stores.

Key Takeaways from Black Friday Weekend 2025

• Fewer Trips, Bigger Baskets. U.S. in-store foot traffic fell 5.8% YoY across Friday–Monday, marking one of the softest Black Friday weekends in recent years. Despite the drop in visits, shoppers who did go to stores spent more per item, with ATV (+2.1%) and AUR (+4.4%) both rising, signaling more intentional, higher-value buying.
• Weather-Whiplash. The Midwest saw the most severe disruption, with Saturday traffic collapsing by 41.8% due to extreme winter weather. The outsized decline shows how environmental volatility is becoming a structural factor in holiday retail performance, overriding traditional peak-day patterns.
• Discretionary Categories Take the Hardest Hit. All major retail categories posted negative traffic, with the steepest declines in Home (-10.3%), Footwear (-6.8%), and Health & Beauty (-5.4%). Apparel performed the most steadily at -3.1%, suggesting shoppers remained focused on essential wardrobe needs over discretionary, big-ticket categories.
• The Rise of the Mission-Driven Shopper. The widening gap between trips and spend points to a more “mission-driven” shopper. Units Per Transaction fell 1.5%, but higher prices and more selective carts kept Shopper Yield (+0.3%) positive, showing shoppers are buying fewer items but choosing higher-quality or higher-margin products.
• Cyber Monday Still Leans Online. In-store traffic declined 6.5% on Cyber Monday, a day that has always skewed digital. Outside of weather-impacted regions, the West and South saw the steepest drops, suggesting shoppers continue to favor online buying even as retailers increasingly blend online and in-store promotions.
• Discount Fatigue Sets In. Declines across every category and every day of the weekend suggest broader consumer fatigue with year-round promotions. With discounts now starting earlier and lasting longer, urgency has softened, and shoppers are spreading purchases across the season instead of concentrating them into one weekend. 

YoY Percent Change in Traffic: 2024 vs. 2025: 

Overall: 

• Black Friday (Nov. 28): -3.6% 
• Saturday (Nov. 29): -8.4% 
• Sunday (Nov. 30): -8.0 percent
• Cyber Monday (Dec. 1): -6.5 percent
• Friday to Monday (Nov. 28 to Dec. 1): -5.8 percent
• Friday to Sunday (Nov. 28 to Nov. 30): -5.8 percent

By Region: 

• Midwest: 
  • Black Friday: -3.7%
  • Saturday: -41.8%
  • Sunday: -21.2%
  • Cyber Monday: -9.1%
  • Friday to Monday average: -16.8%
  • Friday to Sunday average: -17.7%
• Northeast 
  • Black Friday: -3.9%
  • Saturday: -4.1%
  • Sunday: -12.1%
  • Cyber Monday: -3.1%
  • Friday to Monday average: -5.3%
  • Friday to Sunday average: -5.5% 
• South 
  • Black Friday: -4.2%
  • Saturday: -5.4%
  • Sunday: -6.6%
  • Cyber Monday: -7.4%
  • Friday to Monday average: -5.2%
  • Friday to Sunday average: -5.0%
• West 
  • Black Friday: -2.5%
  • Saturday: -3.0%
  • Sunday: -2.7%
  • Cyber Monday: -5.5%
  • Friday to Monday average: -3.0%
  • Friday to Sunday average: -2.7%

By Category: 

• Apparel: 
  • Black Friday: -0.7%
  • Saturday: -5.1%
  • Sunday: -5.4%
  • Cyber Monday: -5.1%
  • Friday to Monday average: -3.1%
  • Friday to Sunday average: -2.8%
• Footwear: 
  • Black Friday: -6.0%
  • Saturday: -5.9%
  • Sunday: -9.9%
  • Cyber Monday: -7.6%
  • Friday to Monday average: -6.8%
  • Friday to Sunday average: -6.7%
• Health & Beauty: 
  • Black Friday: -2.0%
  • Saturday: -9.2%
  • Sunday: -8.6%
  • Cyber Monday: -5.6%
  • Friday to Monday average: -5.4%
  • Friday to Sunday average: -5.3%
• Home: 
  • Black Friday: -6.7%
  • Saturday: -15.2%
  • Sunday: -13.4%
  • Cyber Monday: -9.4%
  • Friday to Monday average: -10.3%
  • Friday to Sunday average: -10.4%
• Jewelry: 
  • Black Friday: -2.0%
  • Saturday: -6.6%
  • Sunday: -5.4%
  • Cyber Monday: -7.6%
  • Friday to Monday average: -4.3%
  • Friday to Sunday average: -3.9%

YoY Percent Change in Sales: 2024 vs. 2025: 

• Net Sales: 
  • Black Friday: 1.0%
  • Friday to Monday: -4.4%
  • November Week 4: -2.6%
• Average Transaction Value (ATV):
  • Black Friday: 2.2%
  • Friday to Monday: 2.1%
  • November Week 4: 3.8%
• Conversion Rate (CVR):
  • Black Friday: 0.3%
  • Friday to Monday: -1.2%
  • November Week 4: -0.4%
• Shopper Yield (SY):
  • Black Friday: 3.5%
  • Friday to Monday: 0.3%
  • November Week 4: 1.7%
• Units Per Transaction (UPT):
  • Black Friday: -1.3%
  • Friday to Monday: -1.5%
  • November Week 4: -1.0%
• Average Unit Retail (AUR):
  • Black Friday: 4.7%
  • Friday to Monday: 4.4%
  • November Week 4: 4.7%

“This year’s Black Friday weekend illustrates how thoughtful and discerning the American shopper has become,” said Joe Shasteen, Global Head of Advanced Analytics at RetailNext. “People came in with a plan and prioritized specific products, compared prices more carefully, and committed to higher-quality purchases instead of filling baskets for the sake of volume. That shift tells us that physical retail isn’t losing relevance, it’s becoming a destination for decisions that matter.”

“Consumers aren’t abandoning stores; they’re weighing trade-offs more seriously,” continued Shasteen. “Weather disruptions in large regions certainly played a role, but even in the strongest markets, shoppers were more precise about when they went out and what they were willing to buy. The performance of AUR and ATV shows that stores continue to be the place where people validate value, whether through trying, comparing, or confirming the deal is real.”

“If anything, this weekend reinforces that retailers can no longer rely on crowds,” said Shasteen. “Shoppers responded best where promotions were transparent, inventory was well-curated, and the in-store experience felt worth the effort.” 

Terminology Defined: 

• Average Transaction Value (ATV): the average amount a customer spends on a single purchase
• Conversion Rate (CVR): the percentage of visitors who made purchases compared to the total number of visitors
• Shopper Yield (SY): a metric that measures a retailer’s revenue per shopper, calculated by multiplying conversion by ATV
• Units Per Transaction (UPT): the average number of items that customers are purchasing in any given transaction
• Average Unit Retail (AUR): the average selling price of an item

Data Methodology 

Derived from data collected at tens of thousands of U.S. stores across hundreds of brands operating on the RetailNext smart store platform, the data reflects in-store trends across a wide variety of retail segments, from major big-box brands to standalone and specialty retail operations. Metrics exclude automobiles, petroleum, and warehouse clubs, and include stores across the U.S. that were open both this year and last year.