Expect ‘value beyond price, savvy shopping and brand trust’ to be the key drivers for the looming Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) shop-fest. 

While price, of course, remains the top consideration for Peak Trading purchases for a third year in a row, the proportion of shoppers rating cost alone has fallen, according to research of over 1,000 UK consumers by Sensormatic Solutions. And the rise of ‘dupe culture’ will see consumers heading more in-store to seek product authenticity.

While 66% say price is the most important factor influencing BFCM and Peak Trading purchases, this is down 11 percentage points year-on-year. Product quality was ranked second (49%), “indicating that good ‘value for money’ as well as cost is a growing consideration”. This was followed by ranging (38%) and stock availability (37%).

“Even though price remains the top factor, inflation-weary consumers have become used to everything being ‘expensive’, which is why many are redefining their perceptions of value beyond cost alone,” said Andy Sumpter, Sensormatic Solutions’ EMEA Retail Consultant.

“This reassessment means additional factors, such as quality, choice and stock assurance, are becoming table stakes in Black Friday purchasing decisions.”

The report also says shoppers are expected to exhibit ‘savvier’ behaviours across BFCM this year.  Some 37% plan to use cashback or discount code sites, rising to 47% of Millennials, “as consumers hunt out extra deals and money-off codes on top of existing discounts”. 

Also, 26% of shoppers will look to retailers’ resale platforms for Peak Trading bargains, rising to 38% of Millennials.

Meanwhile, 73% will take more time searching out deals, up four percentage points compared to 2024, with bargain-hunting strongest among Millennials (79%) and Gen Z (74%).

“Shoppers won’t just take Black Friday deals at face value,” Sumpter added. “Motivated by getting the best value for money, they’ll be scanning every channel, testing every discount format and weighing every payment option to make their disposable spending budgets work hardest.”

As for brand trust, under the heading ‘counterfeits get cancelled’, shoppers will also be heading in-store “to avoid online fakes”.

Some 17% plan to shop in-store over online during BFCM to ensure product authenticity, while 25% trust items bought in-store to be genuine, certified goods. Some 42% of Millennials will also head to physical stores during Peak Trading to ensure product authenticity and avoid online fakes.

“Consumers have always valued the store for purchase validation, wanting to see, touch and physically assess items to ensure their quality and suitability before buying,” Sumpter added. “We’re now seeing an extension of this, where dupe culture and question marks around authenticity online are making the physical retail the cornerstone for brand authentication and trust.”