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Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales level off in physical shops

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The number of debit card payments at points of sale from Black Friday through Cyber Monday was the same this year as last year. This is despite a 7% increase in the total number of debit card payments in the first ten months of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022. Compared with 2019, the number of debit card payments increased by only 10%, while during the rest of the year the monthly number was on average 23% higher than in 2019. Black Friday and Cyber Monday appear to be spreading over an increasingly long period. Online shops also now seem to benefit much more than physical shops from these sales days, which originated in the United States.

Shopping center with Black Friday signs announcing 70% and 50% discounts, with shoppers and festive decorations in the background.

An estimated 66.5 million debit card payments, worth a total of around €1.86 billion, were processed during the four days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year. The peak for physical shops was last Saturday, the day after Black Friday, when around 21.1 million debit card payments worth €625 million were made.

Compared with a normal Friday through Monday in early November, the number of debit card payments between Black Friday and Cyber Monday was roughly 5% higher and their total value was around 15% higher.

Sinterklaas in particular was tempted by all the offers in recent days. Physical shops selling toys, hobby products or sporting goods recorded significantly more debit card payments than usual on all four days, with daily numbers 30% to 55% higher.

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