There was lots of data suggesting consumers were seeking discounts early during this festive season and there was also evidence that Black Friday scepticism was growing. So maybe that was behind Black Friday discounts starting earlier and being deeper this year.
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Talon.One, a loyalty and incentives platform with access to data and insight on discounts and promotions from 270+ major global brands, said that this year, retailers launched Black Friday promotions earlier than ever, starting 16 November. And average global discount rates rose to 25%. Loyalty programme sign-ups also doubled vs 2024 as brands leaned into member-only offers.
The company analysed data from millions of transactions across its platform and found that the 16 November date when ‘influenced revenue’ (that is, any sale made with a promotion or discount attached) for peak season started rising was a whole five days earlier than in 2024.
But there was actually evidence that some discounts started even earlier as Singles’ Day (11 November), once primarily a shopping event in the APAC region, continued its rise as a global promotion driver. Year-on-year, Talon.One saw an 11% increase in influenced revenue on Singles’ Day compared to 2024.
Retailers also increased their average discount rates this year, “signalling a more strategic approach to incentives”, rather than blanket price cuts. The average discount rate across the Black Friday period reached 25% in 2025, up from 21% in 2024.
Those average discounts were highest in the US (35%), with EMEA next (24%) then APAC (18%).
And it’s interesting that the company said loyalty programmes played a bigger part this time. We’re used to seeing retailers linking discounts primarily to their loyalty schemes but this seems to have gone into overdrive for Black Friday. Talon.One said retailers saw a 50% increase in daily new members on Black Friday compared to the previous 30-day average. Overall, loyalty enrolment doubled year on year compared to last year’s Black Friday as consumers seemed happy to sign up in order to access the discounts.
