Holiday shopping is in full swing and BFCM trends are impossible to ignore.
We’ve been watching order volumes climb, shipping patterns take shape, and product categories heat up all week. With Black Friday numbers now in and Cyber Monday activity underway, we have a fuller picture of how shoppers have been buying this holiday season.
Below is a complete look at BFCM activity so far, starting from pre-Black Friday shopping to real-time performance and insights from ShipperHQ.
Order Volume Heated Up Before and Through Black Friday
This year too, customers kicked off their holiday shopping well before BFCM. Earlier in the week, order volume was already up 30% compared to October.
Black Friday continued the momentum, driving 3X higher per-minute traffic compared to a typical day last month.
Traffic Peaks Midday
Pre-Thanksgiving traffic showed the strongest shopper activity at 1:00 PM EST.
On Black Friday, the peak shifted slightly and reached its highest point at 11:00 AM EST.
Free and Low-Cost Shipping Dominates Checkout Choices
Ahead of Black Friday, 47% of all orders used free shipping, and 4.4% of shoppers selected in-store pickup over home delivery.
On Black Friday:
- 59% of shoppers opted for free shipping
- 67% selected the least expensive option
- Only 9% chose the fastest shipping method
Top Shipping Destinations
Black Friday’s top U.S. shipping destinations were:
#1 New York
#2 Chicago
#3 Houston
#4 Miami
#5 Brooklyn
#6 Los Angeles
Stay Tuned for More
We’ll keep reporting on holiday shopping trends as Cyber Monday numbers come in, using the latest insights from ShipperHQ Analytics.
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