Boxing Day is likely to top the shopping charts in 2024 as the cost of living crisis pinches budgets.

• PriceMe saw huge surge in shoppers across Black Friday Week - not just the day
• Less shoppers on actual Black Friday, but more growth in shoppers overall
• Kiwis shopped for things they needed rather than luxury items 
• PriceMe forecasting Boxing Day to still be Kiwis favourite single shopping day

This year, many Kiwis took advantage of the Black Friday sales. While some shopped for Christmas gifts, many Kiwis hit the shops both online and in-store to grab deals and savings for a wide variety of products, particularly household items and technology, during a cost of living crisis. 

With personal finances feeling the strain of the cost of living more than ever before, Kiwis have switched up their shopping habits, waiting for big annual sales such as Black Friday to hunt for bargains for their essentials and Christmas shopping alike. Non-essentials and luxury items are seeing a decline in purchases across the board, highlighting that Kiwis are shopping with more intent and purpose. Before the Black Friday sales began, we predicted that certain categories would ultimately be more popular than others, particularly technology.

So, what were the outcomes of Black Friday 2024? Did Kiwis get those deals and savings that they hoped for? And what products and categories saw the most purchases?

Was There Growth in Shoppers Compared to Usual?

In a cost of living crisis, the Black Friday sales came just in time this year, helping many Kiwis shop for Christmas gifts, and grab household essentials, when otherwise, they perceive many products to be too expensive for their already squeezed budgets.

In our recent PriceMe survey, many shoppers said they were waiting for the sales to begin to make purchases. As predicted, PriceMe saw an increase in purchases on Black Friday compared to usual. There was a 55.2% increase in purchases on Black Friday Day compared to usual traffic levels for Friday. However, this is less than 2023, when traffic was up 60.8% on Black Friday Day compared to usual. 

However, the week of Black Friday sales was busier than 2023, with more shopping starting early as retailers brought Black Friday forward, making it a Black Week. In 2023, the week before Black Friday saw sales go up by 44% on average. But in 2024, the week before Black Friday, purchases went up by 47%. So, more shoppers took advantage of the Black Friday sales early. This indicates that Kiwis were hanging out for those discounted prices to bridge the gap between some household essentials and fulfill Christmas shopping. 

What Were the Most Popular Categories?

According to the statistics collected through the PriceMe database, there were a couple of key categories that stood out as the most sought after this Black Friday. Kiwis overwhelmingly shopped for tech and homeware products overall. Categories that were most popular within the tech world were mobile phones, computers, audio, and gaming consoles. 

In the homeware space, the categories that came out on top were appliances and small appliances. 

The health and beauty industry also saw a surge of shoppers and purchases, particularly within the personal care category. 

With that being said, Kiwis seem to be shopping for things they need rather than luxury items. Many of them also took advantage of the sales to shop for Christmas gifts in an effort to bring the magic of the season to their families, even if these purchases may put a strain on the credit cards and savings, or place them in debt thanks to buy now, pay later services. 

What Were the Most Popular Products?

This Black Friday, Kiwis were shopping for tech and homeware products predominantly. PriceMe statistics gathered from November 25th to December 3rd show that the top 100 products shopped for fell into tech and small appliances categories. 

Popular tech products included mobile phones such as the Samsung Galaxy A25, audio such as the Apple Airpods 2, laptops such as the Apple Macbook Air M3. 

Kiwis also purchased entertainment tech products, implying that many of them shopped for lower priced Christmas gifts, taking advantage of the sales to get better deals for their loved ones during a time when many are struggling to pay their bills, and yet still feel the social pressures of Christmas gift giving. Popular entertainment products included the Nintendo Switch OLED Model, Sony Playstation 5 Slim Disc Edition, and the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 12th 7in 16GB (2024).

In the homeware world, it seemed coffee was a theme. Are Kiwis choosing to invest in their own espresso machines and coffee makers so they can save money on takeout coffee during the week? The Breville the Bambino Plus BES500 and Breville The Barista Touch Impress BES881 were popular choices this year for Kiwis’ coffee fixes. 

For the personal care category, the most popular products were hair tools such as the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler and fitness watches such as the Apple Watch GPS 44mm Aluminium Case and the Fitbit Inspire 3. 

Which Products Were Cheapest Compared to Normal?

There were plenty of heavy discounts this Black Friday. The homeware space saw some of the biggest discounts, and the highest number of comparisons on PriceMe for the Black Friday season. For example, the Fisher & Paykel WH8060P3 (front-loader washing machine), saw prices as low $949 during the early Black Friday sale period on November 23rd. The washing machine is currently $1,185 so that big discount explains the numbers of shoppers checking out that particular appliance. This discounted price and increased purchase rate highlight the demand for high ticket household items and that many Kiwis likely waited for these sales to begin in order to purchase these essential appliances. 

The Dyson V8 Origin saw a great price drop during the Black Friday sales with a high number of shoppers taking advantage of a great price. According to the PriceMe database, the product typically retails for $539.00 - $849.00. However, it saw a $49 discount, with the product going for just $399 on November 26th. 

Boxing Day Predicted to Still Top the Shopping Charts

With Black Friday shopping stretching out across the week, PriceMe CEO, Gavin Male is predicting that Boxing Day will once again top the charts for the busiest day of the year for shoppers on the PriceMe website. 

Male said, “We’re predicting Boxing Day to be the most popular day of the year on PriceMe, driven by older New Zealanders' shopping traditions and those post-Christmas habits.  With retail still struggling to attract shoppers you can expect a surge of unbeatable deals to close out the year. It’s also looking very likely that Boxing Day sales may well start BEFORE the day itself. So keep your eyes peeled for online bargains from Christmas Eve!”

PriceMe Encourages Kiwis to Compare

As the cost of living continues, it appears that more and more Kiwis will choose to wait for big annual sales such as Black Friday and the upcoming Boxing Day sales to make larger purchases and to even purchase household essentials. PriceMe encourages Kiwis to make use of their comparison platform to ensure they are getting the best deal for their shopping, especially in an economic climate where high inflation still rules and sales and discounts are no longer as grandiose as they might have been in the past.