Hair stylers, media tablets, and vacuum cleaners emerged as the standout product groups
Leuven, Belgium, December 10th, 2024 – Black Friday 2024 has once again proven its prominence in the Belgian retail calendar, with sales increasing by 9.3% compared to 2023. Total turnover during the week surpassed €203 million marking a new milestone for consumer spending during this annual shopping event.
Top-Selling Categories and Products
Hair stylers (+43%), media tablets (+28%), and vacuum cleaners (+25%) emerged as the standout product groups, reflecting a sharp increase in demand across both personal care and household technology sectors.
Online Shopping Takes the Lead
Online purchases dominated the sales landscape, recording a growth of 12.5% compared to last year, while physical store sales also saw a healthy rise of 6.3%. For the first time, online sales in Belgium surpassed the €100 million mark in a single week, accounting for 49.3% of total Black Friday week sales, up 1.4% from 2023. Units sold online grew by 6% points compared to the same period last year.
Sector Growth Highlights
The IT and Small Domestic Appliances (SDA) sectors showed exceptional value growth, each increasing by 17%. They were followed by Telecom (+4.7%), Major Domestic Appliances (MDA) (+3.2%), and Consumer Electronics (+3%). Together, the Telecom and IT sectors contributed 52% of Black Friday week turnover, with substantial growth seen in categories such as media tablets, mobile computers, core wearables, and AR/VR glasses.
The Rise of a 3-Week Black Friday Event
This year’s data highlights an evolving trend: Black Friday is no longer confined to a single week. Sales during the two weeks leading up to Black Friday (November 11-17 and November 18-24) grew significantly, with the week of November 11-17 seeing a remarkable 41.8% increase in value.
When combining sales from the three weeks spanning November 11 through December 1, overall growth reached an impressive 12.8%. Despite this shift, Black Friday week remains the most lucrative, generating sales 2.3 times higher than the average week. The week prior delivered 1.5 times average sales, while two weeks prior achieved 1.1 times.
Remarkable Growth
The results underline the growing significance of Black Friday as a driver of consumer spending and a pivotal event for both online and in-store retail in Belgium. As the event continues to expand into a multi-week phenomenon, businesses have more opportunities than ever to engage with eager shoppers.
Black Friday has grown to become a cornerstone of the Belgian retail calendar, reflecting broader global trends in consumer behavior and retail strategies. With increasing participation from both consumers and retailers, the event continues to reshape the shopping landscape year after year.
View all results in the infographic here.
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About GfK
For 90 years, clients around the world have trusted us to provide data-driven answers to key questions for their decision-making processes. We support their growth through our comprehensive understanding of buying behavior and the dynamics that influence markets, brands, and media trends. In 2023, industry leaders GfK and NielsenIQ have merged to offer their clients unparalleled global reach. With a holistic view of retail and the most comprehensive consumer insights, provided by forward-looking analytics on state-of-the-art platforms, GfK is driving “Growth from Knowledge.”
About NIQ
NielsenIQ (NIQ) is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. NIQ combined with GfK in 2023, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. Today NIQ has operations in more than 95 countries covering 97% of GDP. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.
For more information, please visit www.niq.com
