The Black Friday shopping bonanza has become an annual tradition for bargain hunters, with millions of people around the world seeking deals.
In the UAE, the event is also referred to as “White Friday”. This is in recognition of the region revering Fridays as a day of worship and a time for gatherings of friends and family.
Global Black Friday sales hit about $74.4 billion in 2024, a nearly 5 per cent annual rise, data from Resourcera shows. Analysts expect a similar upward trend this year.
On Friday, November 28, this year, shoppers in the US alone spent $8.6 billion online, up 9.4 per cent year-on-year, an Adobe Analytics report found - showing how consumers are increasingly favouring shopping on the web compared to visiting physical stores, owing to the latter's overall convenience further sweetened by extra discounts and deals offered exclusively online.
But spending aside, there's more to this in the UAE: the big shopping day's relationship with consumers has continued to evolve, analysts say, with the growth in online shopping and introduction of buy-now-pay-later programmes fuelling new trends.
Reflection in the UAE
Consumers in the Emirates are increasingly using the opportunity to make over their lifestyles, analysts say.
People are updating their wardrobes and homes, and increasing omnichannel - the mix of physical and digital ways to buy - is helping them, according to Redseer Strategy Consultants.
"What was once a purely deal-driven shopping moment has evolved into a reflection of changing consumer aspirations," said Akshay Jayaprakasan, an associate partner at Bengaluru-based Redseer.
And while online shopping is a
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