UK shoppers leaned into Black Friday 2025 in a big way. New live spending data from Nationwide Building Society and coverage on 28–29 November show a sharp rise in card transactions compared with last year, even as households continue to worry about bills, inflation and value for money. [1]
Nationwide’s real‑time tracking gives one of the clearest early pictures yet of how much Britons actually spent — and what that means for retailers heading into the crucial Christmas trading period.
Key Black Friday 2025 numbers at a glance (UK – Nationwide data)
Nationwide’s debit card data, released in live updates throughout Black Friday, shows a consistent uplift on 2024 at every checkpoint: [2]
- By 10am
- More than 2.5 million customer transactions
- Around 13.6% more purchases than by 10am on Black Friday 2024
- Last year, Nationwide recorded just over 2.2 million transactions by the same time
- By 1pm
- Over 4.88 million card payments
- A 10.36% year‑on‑year increase versus the 4.42 million transactions logged by 1pm in 2024
- By 4pm
- More than 7.3 million transactions since midnight
- Peak intensity of about 15,345 payments a minute, or 255 every second
- That’s 9.18% higher than the 6.68 million transactions recorded by 4pm last year
Nationwide had predicted in mid‑November that more than 12 million transactions would be made on Black Friday itself – around 10% higher than the 11 million seen in 2024 – and over 260 million transactions across the whole month of November. [3]
Taken together, the live data strongly suggests the society was on track to meet, or at least come close to, that forecast.
What LBC and The Independent are reporting
The Nationwide data quickly fed into wider news coverage:
- LBC reported that Nationwide customers had already made more than 2.5 million purchases between midnight and 10am, emphasising that this early‑morning burst was significantly stronger than last year and underlining how important Black Friday remains to retailers. [4]
- The Independent carried a similar story based on figures supplied via PA Media, highlighting the 13.6% rise in early transactions and noting that Nationwide had pencilled in more than 12 million payments for the full day. [5]
Both outlets also reflected Nationwide’s warning that shoppers are increasingly cautious and value‑driven. The building society stressed that customers are more alert to potential scams and “too good to be true” offers, and encouraged people to stick to budgets, check price histories and favour reputable brands — advice that mirrors ongoing concerns about fake or exaggerated Black Friday deals. [6]
What Nationwide’s live data tells us about UK shoppers
1. Black Friday is still a huge event – just a bit more measured
Despite talk in recent years that Black Friday might be losing its shine, the Nationwide figures point in the opposite direction: transaction volumes are clearly growing.
Double‑digit percentage increases compared to 2024 at 10am, 1pm and 4pm show that, at least among Nationwide’s 16‑million‑plus members, more payments are being made, more quickly. [7]
Nationwide’s own pre‑event research suggested that:
- The average Brit planning to take part expected to spend around £123 across the Black Friday period
- 25–34‑year‑olds were set to spend roughly £255 each – about double the national average
- Yet 38% of consumers said they didn’t plan to buy anything at all during the sales, reflecting subdued confidence and cost‑of‑living pressures [8]
That mix – strong spending among those who do participate, but a sizeable minority opting out entirely – captures the contradictions of the 2025 retail environment.
2. Shoppers are starting earlier, planning more – and going omnichannel
Nationwide’s November research shows that many shoppers effectively turned Black Friday into “Black November”:
- Around a fifth of those intending to shop said they had started looking for deals at the beginning of November, as retailers launched early offers.
- Nearly a third had already wish‑listed items or filled online baskets ahead of time, waiting to see if prices would fall further.
- About 50% expected to shop online, with 28% saying they would use the high street, and almost a quarter planning to buy via social shopping platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram. More than a third aimed to purchase through retailer apps. [9]
In other words, traditional “queue outside at dawn” Black Friday has been replaced by a more blended, multi‑day, multi‑channel shopping pattern.
3. What people are buying
Nationwide’s wish‑list data paints a familiar picture of what’s hot in 2025: [10]
- Big categories: electronics, fashion, health and beauty, homeware, food and drink, and toys
- Strong brands: household names such as Nike, PlayStation, Nintendo, Dyson and LEGO
- Trending items: air fryers, coffee machines and other small kitchen appliances continue to surge in popularity
- Quirkier purchases: Nationwide highlights niche and retro items such as vinyl record players, indoor herb gardens, merchandise linked to Formula 1 and darts, and collectibles like Funko Pops
These trends align neatly with the idea of Black Friday as a moment to pick up big‑ticket gadgets, treat purchases, and early Christmas gifts, rather than purely essentials.
How this fits into the wider UK retail picture
Black Friday 2025 lands against a backdrop of weak pre‑event sales and low business confidence:
- A Reuters survey in late November reported that UK retailers’ confidence had slumped to its lowest level in 17 years, with sales falling ahead of the government’s Budget and tax decisions. [11]
- The British Retail Consortium and other groups warned that shoppers were delaying purchases until Black Friday, and that higher interest rates and living‑cost pressures were weighing on demand. [12]
Nationwide’s data suggests that many of those delayed purchases did indeed materialise once the discounts arrived. However, there is strong evidence that consumers are more sceptical about the value of those deals:
- Research highlighted by The Guardian and consumer group Which? found that a large share of “headline” Black Friday offers were not at their cheapest price in November; some products were cheaper at other points in the year. [13]
This helps explain why shoppers are leaning into price‑tracking tools, wish‑lists and basket‑watching, and why Nationwide is emphasising checks on price history and verified reviews.
Christmas shopping is starting earlier – and Black Friday is central
A recent Financial Times analysis of UK retail data argues that Christmas is starting earlier than ever, with festive products and campaigns appearing months in advance – a trend often labelled “Christmas creep.” [14]
Key points from that work include:
- Retailers are launching Christmas advertising and promotions earlier, with 2025 festive ad spending forecast to reach around £12 billion.
- Black Friday is expected to contribute roughly £3.8 billion to the overall festive revenue, cementing it as a core part of the “Golden Quarter” rather than a standalone U.S. import. [15]
Nationwide’s live numbers – particularly the strong growth in daytime transactions compared with 2024 – reinforce the idea that many UK households now treat Black Friday as the unofficial kick‑off to their Christmas shopping, using discounts to spread costs over a longer window.
Global context: record online spending and the rise of AI‑powered shopping
The UK data sits within a broader global pattern of robust Black Friday spending, especially online:
- In the United States, Adobe Analytics estimates that shoppers spent about $11.8 billion online on Black Friday 2025, roughly 9.1% more than in 2024. [16]
- Mastercard SpendingPulse figures indicate that total U.S. Black Friday retail sales (online + in‑store) were up around 4.1% year‑on‑year, with e‑commerce growing by about 10.4%, versus only 1.7% growth for in‑store sales. [17]
- Analysis from AP and other outlets points to a rise in buy‑now, pay‑later (BNPL) spending as budget‑conscious customers look to spread the cost of purchases. [18]
Several factors stand out:
- AI shopping tools – Retailers and tech firms are heavily pushing AI assistants that suggest products, compare prices and surface personalised deals, contributing to the surge in online spending. [19]
- Longer promotion windows – Discounts are now spread across weeks rather than a single day, blurring the lines between Black Friday, Cyber Monday and generic “holiday” sales. [20]
- Fewer items, higher totals – Rising prices mean that shoppers often buy fewer products per transaction, but overall spending can still rise in cash terms. [21]
Compared with those international trends, Nationwide’s UK figures show similar themes: strong nominal spending, but taking place in an environment of tight budgets, higher borrowing costs and intense scrutiny of value.
Smart and safe shopping: lessons from Nationwide’s advice
Nationwide’s spokespeople, quoted across its own media centre and by outlets such as LBC and The Independent, consistently stress responsible spending and fraud awareness. Paraphrasing their guidance and broader consumer‑protection advice, shoppers are urged to: [22]
- Stick to a budget
- Decide what you can afford before you browse.
- Use a wish‑list rather than buying everything that catches your eye.
- Check whether a deal is genuinely good
- Compare prices across multiple retailers.
- Use price‑tracking tools or your own notes to see how the price has moved over time.
- Prioritise trusted retailers and platforms
- Shop with brands and marketplaces that have clear returns policies and strong customer reviews.
- Be cautious with unfamiliar websites offering unusually deep discounts.
- Watch out for scams
- Be wary of links in unsolicited emails or social posts.
- Double‑check URLs, and never share banking details via channels you don’t fully trust.
- Use consumer protections where possible
- Credit cards and some digital wallets offer additional protection for disputed transactions or faulty goods.
- BNPL can smooth cash‑flow but should be used carefully, with repayments built into your budget. [23]
For retailers, a key takeaway is that volume alone isn’t enough. Shoppers clearly still love a bargain, but they are more likely than ever to research, compare and walk away if they feel the value isn’t there.
What Black Friday 2025 means for the rest of the “Golden Quarter”
Putting all the pieces together, the picture emerging from 28–29 November 2025 looks like this:
- Pent‑up demand from October and early November has partly released into Black Friday, as people waited for promotions before making discretionary purchases. [24]
- Nationwide’s data shows solid growth in transactions versus 2024, suggesting that Black Friday remains an anchor event for UK retail. [25]
- However, survey evidence and retailer commentary point to fragile consumer confidence, with a significant minority sitting out the sales altogether and businesses still anxious about margins, tax and rates. [26]
- Globally, record online spending and a boom in AI‑powered shopping tools hint that the future of Black Friday is increasingly digital, data‑driven and personalised. [27]
For shoppers, the message is straightforward: Black Friday 2025 did deliver meaningful savings for many, especially on electronics and household brands, but the best outcomes went to those who planned ahead, checked prices and resisted impulse buys.
For retailers and policymakers, Nationwide’s live spending data and the wave of coverage on 29 November show that, even in a strained economy, well‑timed discounts and trusted brands can still unlock strong demand – provided consumers feel they are getting genuine value.
References
1. www.nationwide.co.uk, 2. www.nationwide.co.uk, 3. www.nationwide.co.uk, 4. www.lbc.co.uk, 5. www.independent.co.uk, 6. www.independent.co.uk, 7. www.nationwide.co.uk, 8. www.nationwide.co.uk, 9. www.nationwide.co.uk, 10. www.nationwide.co.uk, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.theguardian.com, 14. www.ft.com, 15. www.ft.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. www.mastercard.com, 18. apnews.com, 19. www.reuters.com, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. www.reuters.com, 22. www.independent.co.uk, 23. apnews.com, 24. www.theguardian.com, 25. www.nationwide.co.uk, 26. www.nationwide.co.uk, 27. www.reuters.com
