FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE 2018 BLACK FRIDAY DATA CLICK HERE
According to Nielsen, thirty-nine percent of consumers say they plan to start their holiday weekend shopping on Thanksgiving evening, up from 34% in 2015.
Black Friday will see more than half of Americans (54%) vying for the best deals, with Apparel (61%), Electronics (56%) and Video Games (43%) leading the way for top items consumers are planning to purchase.
Ahead of Black Friday, Profitero analyzed the average price discounts at Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart in Electronics, Toys & Games and Appliances, based on each retailers’ published online ad on November 21.
Count of Items by Retailer-Category
| Electronics | Toys and Games | Small Appliances | Total Products by Retailer | |
| Amazon | 640 | 269 | 36 | 945 |
| Best Buy | 223 | 5 | 37 | 265 |
| Target | 34 | 33 | 37 | 104 |
| Walmart | 54 | 24 | 9 | 87 |
| Total Products by Category | 951 | 331 | 119 | 1401 |
Source: Best Buy, Target and Walmart online ad published by retailer for Black Friday 2016 Amazon Black Friday Deal Week on November 21
Key findings:
- Though they each promoted fewer items, Walmart (87 total products promoted) and Target (104 total products promoted) both had deeper discounts — 37.6% on average at Target and 36.6% on average at Walmart.
- While Amazon’s average discount was the lowest at 24%, Amazon promoted 945 products — accounting for over two-thirds of the promoted items we analyzed.
Black Friday Average Discount by Category
| Electronics | Toys and Games | Small Appliances | Retailer Average | |
| Amazon | 28.3% | 22.1% | 21.5% | 24.0% |
| Best Buy | 37.4% | 23.9% | 37.3% | 32.9% |
| Target | 37.2% | 35.5% | 40.2% | 37.6% |
| Walmart | 39.3% | 34.9% | 35.5% | 36.6% |
| Category Average | 35.6% | 29.1% | 33.6% |
Source: Best Buy, Target and Walmart online ad published by retailer for Black Friday 2016 Amazon Black Friday Deal Week on November 21
- We further drilled down to analyze average discount by price range within the Electronics category specifically. Best Buy is shown to offer the deepest discount in Electronics products priced under $25, while Target offers the deepest discount for products priced $200 and above.
- However, 57% of Best Buy’s promoted items are priced at $200+, so shoppers looking for real savings (in dollar terms) on items that may feel out-of-reach could find good deals there.
Electronics: Black Friday Average Discount by Price Range
| Price Range | Amazon | Best Buy | Target | Walmart | Average by Price Range |
| Under $25 | 20.0% | 56.7% | – | 49.1% | 21.9% |
| $26 to $50 | 35.6% | 43.6% | 35.1% | 41.0% | 36.5% |
| $51 to $100 | 36.1% | 50.2% | 36.0% | 51.4% | 39.9% |
| $101 to $200 | 27.8% | 41.7% | 43.1% | 38.0% | 34.0% |
| $200 and Above | 22.6% | 30.8% | 35.2% | 23.3% | 27.6% |
Source: Best Buy, Target and Walmart online ad published by retailer for Black Friday 2016 Amazon Black Friday Deal Week on November 21
“While deeply discounted items on Black Friday remain a key component of many retailers’ seasonal strategies, the season is being extended”, commented Profitero’s SVP Strategy and Insights Keith Anderson. “More retailers (including Walmart and Amazon) are running weeks-long deal events, which may help retailers distribute demand more evenly across the full season, help them stay in-stock, and drive increases in site traffic or store trips.”
Visit Profitero’s Holiday 2016 microsite for the latest eCommerce data, predictions, and insight for the holiday season.