Black Friday Report: Specialty Retail Sales Rise, Engagement Reaches Record Levels

The 2025 Thanksgiving weekend delivered both record-breaking consumer turnout and notable shifts in in-store performance, according to newly released data from the National Retail Federation and StoreForce. Together, the reports show a holiday stretch defined by strong shopper engagement, higher spending and a growing emphasis on conversion quality over raw foot traffic.

Despite a slight dip in specialty retail foot traffic reported by StoreForce, overall Thanksgiving weekend shopping (which includes both in-store and online shopping) reached record highs, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

StoreForce, which aggregates in-store performance data from specialty retailers across North America, reported that Black Friday weekend sales rose 10 percent year over year even as store traffic declined 1.9 percent. The data indicates that shoppers purchased fewer items but spent more per item and per trip, driving overall gains. The average price per item increased 11.6 percent, contributing to larger basket values despite softer in-store counts, according to StoreForce.

“Black Friday showed specialty retailers can deliver value to their customers without discounting,” said Bliss Gordon, StoreForce’s vice president of client success. “The retailers who staffed their highest-value hours with intention – and executed on the in-store experience – were the ones who saw the strongest jumps in conversion and visit value.”

StoreForce’s 2025 Specialty Retail Black Friday Report highlights several additional trends across participating operators. Apparel and footwear were the strongest-performing verticals, delivering the highest year-over-year gains among the categories measured. The report also notes that retailers who added labor during peak-value hours outperformed those that kept staffing flat. StoreForce characterizes labor as a revenue lever rather than a fixed cost, with additional staff helping support higher conversion rates at the most impactful hours of the weekend.

The company’s report compares performance across Friday, Saturday and Sunday and analyzes how retailers used real-time data to adjust in-day staffing and execution. It also tracks shifts in basket composition that StoreForce says will shape the remainder of the holiday season. 

While specialty retail showed that stronger conversion could offset softer traffic, the overall consumer turnout for the broader Thanksgiving weekend reached historic levels. The National Retail Federation reported that 202.9 million consumers shopped between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday—up from 197 million last year and surpassing the previous record of 200.4 million set in 2023. The figure exceeds NRF’s initial projection of 186.9 million shoppers for the five-day period.

“Thanksgiving weekend is an important time for families and friends to come together, and holiday shopping plays a key role in that shared experience,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in the release. “This year’s record turnout reflects a highly engaged consumer who is focused on value, responds to compelling promotions, and seizes upon the opportunity to make the winter holidays special and meaningful.”

NRF reported increases in both in-store and online shopping. A total of 129.5 million consumers shopped in-store, up from 126 million in 2024. Online shopping reached 134.9 million consumers, up from 124.3 million last year. Black Friday remained the top day for both channels, drawing 80.3 million in-store shoppers and 85.7 million online. Although these totals came in slightly below 2024’s levels, shopper turnout surged over the remainder of the weekend.

Saturday drew 62.7 million in-store shoppers and 63 million online, compared with 61.1 million and 53.9 million last year. NRF highlighted a notable jump in Sunday traffic, with 32.6 million in-store shoppers—a 27 percent increase from 2024. Online shopping on Sunday also grew to 38.7 million consumers, up from 32.8 million last year.

Cyber Monday again ranked as the second most popular online shopping day of the period, attracting 75.9 million online shoppers compared with 64.4 million the prior year. NRF reported that mobile shopping continued to gain traction, with 46.9 million consumers making Cyber Monday purchases on a mobile device, up from 40.4 million in 2024.

Across all five days, 96 percent of shoppers made at least one holiday-related purchase, spending an average of $337.86 on gifts, seasonal décor, holiday apparel and other items. Clothing and accessories were the most common purchases, followed by toys. Books and media rose to the third most popular category, surpassing gift cards.

According to NRF’s survey, 84 percent of consumers had begun their holiday shopping by the end of Thanksgiving weekend. Shoppers reported having completed about 47 percent of their seasonal purchasing so far. NRF continues to forecast that total holiday spending will surpass $1 trillion for the first time.