US Black Friday retail sales rose 4.1%, Mastercard SpendingPulse has revealed. But while online surged, in-store visitor traffic was down a separate report from RetailNext showed. That said, both reports showed a better result for apparel than for other sectors.
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First, the Mastercard numbers. They exclude autos and are based on the payment cards giant measuring in-store and online retail sales across all payment types.
The company said this year’s event “tells a story of comfort, connection, and savvy shopping” as consumers prepared for meaningful moments with family and friends.
Spending growth on apparel was particularly strong both online and in-store, “suggesting shoppers refreshed wardrobes while leaning into value-driven choices and convenience”.
In fact, apparel climbed 5.7% (online 6.1%, in-store 5.4%), as “chilly temperatures and seasonal deals encouraged spending on new fashions”. Jewelry also rose 2.75% (online 4.2%), “as consumers opted for gifts that shine”.
Overall, e-commerce retail sales excluding autos jumped 10.4%, “as shoppers increasingly value speed and convenience”. In-store sales grew more modestly (1.7%) but “remain essential to consumers for tactile experiences”.
Mastercard also said the surge in online shopping “showcases how technology is transforming the way consumers pay. Shoppers are enjoying seamless checkout experiences across devices, from smartphones to connected home assistants, making holiday shopping faster, safer, and more intuitive than ever before”.
Which leads us on the that drop for in-store shopping traffic. RetailNext said initial data reveals an average of a 5.3% year-over-year decrease for foot traffic across Black Friday and Saturday.
Visitor numbers dropped 3.6% on Friday itself and a massive 8.6% on Saturday. By store type, apparel stores saw traffic down 2.3% across the two days with just a 0.7% drop on Friday and 5.3% on Saturday.
For footwear, the weekend, Friday and Saturday falls were 6%, 6% and 5.9%, respectively. For healthy & beauty they were drops of 4.7%, 2.1% and 9.6%, and for jewelry they were 3.6%, 2% and 6.6%.
“Black Friday 2025 didn’t kill the holiday; it changed how shoppers approached it,” said Joe Shasteen, Global Head of Advanced Analytics at RetailNext. “Foot traffic was down on Friday and on Saturday, but that wasn’t disinterest, it was intention. Shoppers showed they’re done with the impulse-driven, one-day frenzy. Prices, tariffs, and tighter budgets pushed people to shop with discipline, not adrenaline, and they responded by turning Black Friday into a value calculation”.
RetailNext said one of the clearest signals is the 3.6% drop on Black Friday, which was meaningfully better than the 6.2% decline seen from Sunday through Wednesday (23 November to 26 November). It shows that even in a cautious year, “shoppers are still willing to attend major promotional events; they’re simply being more selective about when those events are worth the trip”.
“Despite the declines, Black Friday again delivered the highest in-store traffic of any day this year, reaffirming its role as the anchor of the holiday shopping season, but the weekend’s performance was shaped more by real-world factors than waning interest,” added Shasteen. “Consumers are still willing to shop, they’re just demanding proof it’s worth leaving the house. Retailers who treated November as a month-long build, rather than a single-day spectacle, saw the strongest in-store performance.”
On Friday, France demanded a series of measures from Shein to demonstrate that the products sold on its website comply with the law, but dropped its initial request for a total three-month suspension of the online platform, which had been based on the sale of child-like sex dolls and prohibited weapons.
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At a hearing before the Paris court, a lawyer representing the state said that Shein must implement controls on its website, including age verification and filtering, to ensure that minors cannot access pornographic content. The state asked the court to impose a suspension of Shein’s marketplace until Shein has provided proof to Arcom, the French communications regulator, that these controls have been implemented.
Shein deactivated its marketplace- where third-party sellers offer their products- in France on November 5, after authorities discovered illegal items for sale, but its site selling Shein-branded clothing remains accessible. The state invoked Article 6.3 of France’s Digital Economy Act, which empowers judges to order measures to prevent or halt harm caused by online content.
“We don’t claim to be here to replace the European Commission,” the state’s lawyer said. “We are not here today to regulate; we are here to prevent harm, in the face of things that are unacceptable.” At the time of writing, the hearing is still ongoing.
In a statement issued last week, the Paris public prosecutor’s office said that a three-month suspension could be deemed “disproportionate” in light of European Court of Human Rights case law if Shein could prove that it had ceased all sales of illegal products. However, the public prosecutor’s office said it “fully supported” the government’s request that Shein provide evidence of the measures taken to stop such sales.
France’s decision comes against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny of Chinese giants such as Shein and Temu under the EU’s Digital Services Act, reflecting concerns about consumer safety, the sale of illegal products, and unfair competition. In the US, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Monday that he was investigating Shein to determine whether the fast-fashion retailer had violated state law relating to unethical labour practices and the sale of dangerous consumer products.
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BasicNet’s Kappa turns back the sporting clock for its new AW25 collection, which celebrates “local heroes in football” with a community-focused campaign “honouring the places and people that inspire a lifelong love of the game”.
Image: Kappa
The campaign shines a light on local talent Tyrone Marsh in his hometown of Bedford, revisiting the streets, pitches and community spots “that shaped his football journey”.
Local photographer Simon Gill, who had pictured Marsh during many home and away games, not only “captures the Bedford Town player in the spaces that helped define his skill”, but also highlights the brand’s “rich football heritage with contemporary streetwear energy, creating visuals that pay tribute to community, culture and grassroots football”.
The journey includes Hartwell Drive, the early days of his after-school kickabouts, Hillgrounds Road, synonymous with Bedford football culture, and then onto Faraday Square, locally identified by the concrete pitches and community spirit.
To reflect that journey, the AW25 collection “offers a sense of nostalgia” with Kappa’s long-standing history in fashion and sports “seen through the Omini logo placements and 222 Banda strip”.
The campaign sees Marsh wearing Kappa styles including the Lyman and Uriah Track Tops paired with the Ulrich Track Pants in classic colourways including navy and light blue.
The wider collection includes track tops, track pants, shorts, polos, sweatshirts and T-shirts, available at select retailers across the UK including 80s Casual Classics, Terraces Menswear and RD1 Clothing.
UK footfall down in November? Blame the Budget and bad weather. Those two important factors damaged shoppers’ desire to venture out, resulting in an albeit slender 0.8% year-on-year dip in footfall last month, with all types of destinations suffering. It was also the seventh consecutive footfall decline, noted the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)/Sensormatic report
Image: Nigel Taylor
That meant visits to high streets were down 1.2% in November and down from a 0.6% rise in October; shopping centre footfall dipped 1.3% last month, down from a 0.9% dip in October; and retail park visits were down 0.4% in November, but were better than a 0.5% dip in October.
The BRC also noted that November’s Storm Claudia prompted many consumers to search online for Black Friday deals throughout November, leading some to not visit physical stores on Black Friday.
But there was good news, with some northern UK cities – including Manchester and Sheffield – continuing to buck the trend, “recording positive footfall for the eighth consecutive month”.
So with many shoppers holding off on store visits until this month, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “With the Golden Quarter in full swing, retailers are continuing to invest what they can to entice customers into stores over Christmas.
“However, as we approach the New Year, given the downward trend in footfall across recent years, we need a comprehensive strategy to revitalise our high streets and shopping centres, from better transport, affordable parking, to a reformed planning system to enable faster, better development.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, added: “November may have been dominated by caution, but there are glimmers of hope. The Golden Quarter isn’t over yet, and with four of our predicted Top Five shopping days still to come, the festive season could deliver the lift retailers need. A last-minute rush may top off the year, turning caution into celebration. With the right balance of value, convenience, and experience, there’s still time to make December count.”
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