Black Friday stories

Record Black Friday online sales risk hollowing out profits as soaring returns, refunds and BNPL queries squeeze retailers’ margins.

AI now underpins most UK Christmas campaigns, as 78% of marketers use it to deliver more personalised festive ads amid rising consumer demands.

Online marketplaces now dominate UK high-value shopping journeys, as brands risk invisibility without strong, optimised product data.

Retailers brace for a “Christmas Returns Hangover” as eDesk reports a 45% spike in return requests from 26 December, denting profits.

Australian holiday shoppers are spending strategically, forcing retailers to sharpen promotions, personalise offers and boost in-store experience.

New Zealand enters 2026 with rising job confidence but clunky hiring, AI gaps and demands for flexibility are reshaping work and recruitment.

Cyber Weekend spending of AUD $6.8 billion shows retail’s strength, but AI-powered scams mean cyber readiness is now a peak-season necessity.

ASOS’s GBP £130m stock write-off shows AI gloss cannot mask a broken ERP, as messy data turns clever tools into costly liabilities.

Intel launches a Canada laptop guide from CAD $399.99 to CAD $2,199.99, bundling select gaming models with a free blockbuster PC title.

Patchworks data operations jumped over 320% year on year as retailers stretched BFCM 2025 into a longer, more complex multichannel peak.

Infobip logs 12.2 billion Cyber Week interactions as retailers drive a 277% Black Friday surge in rich messaging such as RCS and WhatsApp.

Softonic issues festive-season guide warning of rising scams in fake shops, apps and delivery messages as online bargain hunting surges.

A viral festival clip of a top influencer sipping from a pink Huski champagne flute has sent global demand for the Kiwi drinkware brand soaring.

Avast flags 430,000 blocked visits to fake online shops in Australia, warning scam “ghost stores” will surge over summer sales and Christmas.

Australia Post teams with The ICONIC and Oz Hair and Beauty, offering AUD $10 rewards to steer online shoppers towards Parcel Lockers.

UK Black Friday pet sector spending surged with average orders up 56%, as shoppers focused on essentials and bigger baskets to maximise savings.

UK saw the highest global Black Friday growth at 16%, driven by loyalty spend, AI tools, and personalised retail experiences, outpacing US and ANZ markets.

UK eCommerce sales surged 27% during Black Friday as social media platforms like TikTok fueled a 152% global rise in social shopping transactions.

Brands boosted Black Friday and Cyber Monday revenue by 38% year-on-year through varied creative ads, despite only a 13% rise in ad spend, analysis shows.

Black Friday searches hit 33.5bn, with pet products surging 81% and shoppers favouring value, wellness, and early deals over luxury goods this year.