Black Friday has kicked off the holiday shopping season in the U.S. since roughly the 1950s, becoming one of the country’s biggest shopping days.

In 2024 alone, U.S. consumers spent over $10 billion online during Black Friday.

Cyber Monday, introduced by the National Retail Federation in 2005, spotlighted a surge in electronics sales, outpaced Black Friday in 2024, with online spending reaching over $13 billion in a single day.

These shopping holidays continue to grow in popularity and spending, shaping consumer behavior and creating major opportunities for businesses and advertisers. That’s why researchers at Alliant set out to answer a key question:

“What really drives consumer behavior during these high stakes shopping events?”