Tech, homewares and personal care performed
well. Best-sellers were LED face masks, headphones and tumble dryers

London, December 9th, 2024 – The results are in! Latest figures from GfK’s point-of-sale data reveal a strong sales performance this Black Friday for the Technology and Homewares categories in particular. The influence of TikTok and Instagram is evident in sales of personal care products trending on the platforms.

GfK, a NielsenIQ company, has analysed sales of Technology and Durables, Homewares and Seasonal products this Black Friday (29th November). Sales were up 1.8% in value and 7.7% in volume overall versus Black Friday 2023. Turnover in the week hit £992 million.

Key findings:

• This year’s hero products were all about personal care. LED face masks (+302% YoY), electric massagers (+72% YoY) and hot air stylers (17.4% YoY) supported the Technology and Durables category’s strong performance
• Headphones and smart watches saw huge increases in sales. With sales of almost £8m compared to last year, they added the most value to the market versus Black Friday 2023
• The wet weather saw many invest in tumble dryers. Sales surged 19% year-on-year
• The Homewares sector benefited from the pre-Christmas sales period, up 9% in value and 17% in volume. This was a fantastic result as the market has been down 4% over the past 12 months
• Shoppers embraced the chance to invest in their homes by making smaller purchases. Enjoying upticks were houseplants (+27%), candles (+22%), and diffusers (+19%). Bargain hunters also used the opportunity to upgrade their cookware and tableware (+20%)
• Declines hit traditional tech such as TVs, tablets, and smartphones. Some were due to the impact of the Euros as TVs enjoyed a bumper sales period in May and June during the tournament. While not a catastrophic fall, demand for TVs fell 2.6% versus last year.

Live Christmas trees and tinsel are back!
Seasonal items were boosted as consumers got into the festive spirit early. Shoppers fell back in love with old traditions with live Christmas trees growing 218% compared to last Black Friday, and tinsel back in vogue with 63% growth.

GfK’s Kelly Creaby, Senior Manager, Retail Market Intelligence says: “All eyes were on Black Friday this year as the Tech and Durables market desperately needed a boost following a flat year in 2024. In 2023, it was all about the air fryer which enjoyed a sales surge. This year’s hero products came in the form of self-care, a trend heavily promoted on TikTok and Instagram. We saw LED face masks, electric massagers, and hot air stylers deliver very strong sales. As a result, Black Friday delivered a sales boost with sales value up 1.8% and volume up 7.7% year on year.”

About GfK

For over 89 years, we have earned the trust of our clients around the world by solving critical questions in their decision-making process. We fuel their growth by providing a complete understanding of their consumers’ buying behavior, and the dynamics impacting their markets, brands and media trends. In 2023, GfK combined with NIQ, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights – delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms – GfK drives “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