For the first time ever, more U.S. Black Friday Week (Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday) technology gift shoppers bought or planned to buy tech online (59 percent) than at a physical store (58 percent), according to part two of a new study series released today by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). The 2018 Holiday Outlook Series, Part Two: Black Friday Week also shows for the second year in a row, the number of American adults who shopped or planned to shop on Cyber Monday (54 percent) outpaced those who shopped on Black Friday (48 percent), ushering in a new era of online shopping.
“Online shopping drove the momentum for a successful Black Friday Week overall – and especially for tech,” said Ben Arnold, senior director of innovation and trends, CTA. “Just like Black Friday gave way to Thanksgiving Week promotions, Cyber Monday has extended to become Cyber Week sales for many retailers. Online promotions have solidified their spot alongside in-store door busters as ways to drive shopper traffic. The convenience of online shopping is amplified by mobile and now voice shopping options empowering consumers to grab deals anytime and anywhere.”
Banner Year for Online Shopping Behavior
Among the 75 percent of consumers who shopped or were planning to shop online over Thanksgiving Week, computers were the most popular device to use:
Desktop or laptop computer (55 percent).
Mobile device (such as a smartphone or tablet) (45 percent).
Voice enabled digital assistant (such as Apple’s Siri or an Amazon Echo) (12 percent).
Consumers Shopped for Tech More Than Anticipated
A third (33 percent) of shoppers indicate they spent more than they did last year on gifts during Black Friday Week, and 29 percent of shoppers say the 2018 deals were better than expected. These factors helped contribute to more Black Friday Week tech shoppers making unexpected purchases (46 percent).
Top Tech Products during Black Friday Week
Among U.S. adults who shopped or planned to shop during Black Friday Week, the top five tech products and accessories shoppers purchased or planned to purchase are:
Tech Devices:
1. TVs.
2. Videogame Consoles.
3. Tablets.
4. Smartphones.
5. Digital Media Streaming Devices.
Tech Accessories:
1. Videogame Discs.
2. Wireless Headphones and Streaming Services. (tied ranking)
3. Wireless Earbuds and Mobile Device Cases. (tied ranking)
“The most purchased tech categories that rose to the top during Black Friday week reflect the ‘buzziest’ deals – especially around the 4K Ultra High-Definition ecosystem, videogame consoles and smart speakers,” said Arnold. “Over 80 percent of those who shopped or planned to shop at all this holiday season – or 207 million American adults – say they still have more gift shopping left. This is higher than past CTA data and shows the 2018 holiday shopping season is off to a healthy start.”
To keep up to date with all of CTA’s holiday and Black Friday Week research throughout the season, visit CTA.tech/holiday.
CTA’s 2018 Holiday Outlook Series, Part 2: Black Friday Week was designed and formulated by CTA Market Research, the most comprehensive source of sales data, forecasts, consumer research and historical trends for the consumer technology industry. CTA fielded the survey Nov. 25-26, 2018 using an online representative sample of 2,006 U.S. adults (18+). The report comes at no cost for CTA members and is available at CTA.tech/holiday.