Black Friday has been synonymous with discounted tech for years. Consumers have been conditioned to expect big-ticket bargains, while retailers have focused their marketing on electronics, fashion and homeware.
New research by Nano Interactive demonstrates, though, that the role of Black Friday is changing. It’s still a highly popular shopping event, especially among Gen Z and millennials, and the demand for personal electronics remains high. But rather than purely a moment to secure expensive purchases, it's also becoming a chance for shoppers to get ahead of Christmas spending - particularly groceries.
And supermarkets are yet to capitalise on this shift.
Consumer perception is evolving
The study reveals that over a third (36%) of consumers now bring part of their Christmas grocery shopping forward into the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period.
This behaviour isn't driven by panic buying or concerns about stock shortages, but by value. Price and promotions are the biggest motivator, cited by 43% of early shoppers, while 27% say spreading the cost of Christmas over several paydays is the key reason they start shopping earlier.
Together, this means around seven in ten early festive shoppers are motivated by financial control, not urgency. Rather than a one-off shopping event, many see it as a practical budgeting tool.
An untapped opportunity for supermarkets
Despite this change in consumer thinking, supermarkets have yet to establish themselves as natural Black Friday destinations: Only 14% of shoppers strongly associate Black Friday with grocery shopping. Almost half either barely make the connection or have never considered supermarkets as part of the event at all.
Perhaps most interesting is the sizable group in the middle. Around 35% of respondents say they associate Black Friday with grocery shopping "a little". This suggests consumers aren't rejecting the idea; they simply haven't been given a compelling reason to think of supermarkets when Black Friday arrives.
For retailers, that's an opportunity rather than a problem. Unlike categories such as electronics, where expectations are already well established, grocery remains relatively open territory. Supermarkets that communicate genuine value during Black Friday could own this space before their competitors.
Different shoppers need different messages
The research also highlights that there isn't a single Black Friday shopper: age, income and shopping habits all influence what consumers expect from the sales event, and marketers need to adapt their messaging accordingly. One event requires multiple creative approaches.
- Younger shoppers remain the most enthusiastic about Black Friday, with two-thirds of 18-24 year olds saying they're more excited than ever. Also, this age group is the most likely to consider food and drink as Black Friday sale items. For these audiences, Black Friday can still be positioned as an exciting retail moment filled with discovery, taking particular advantage of their natural pull towards grocery deals.
- Older consumers are far less emotionally engaged, even though many still intend to shop during the event. They associate it most with tech items and respond better to messaging focused on value, convenience and affordability, so the emphasis should be on helping households to budget effectively and reduce financial pressure.
- Lower- and middle-income households tend to view Black Friday as the chance to finally buy expensive technology that would otherwise be out of reach.
- Higher-income shoppers, on the other hand, are focused less on electronics and more on fashion, and premium food and drinks, as they prepare for hosting and entertaining.
Clear communication matters more than louder communication
The numbers show that shoppers are willing to spend more if supermarket offers are communicated more clearly: six in ten respondents say they would increase their supermarket spending during Black Friday if deals were advertised more effectively.
However, those most influenced by clearer promotions are already actively looking for deals. Among shoppers who check promotions every year, over 80% say better advertising would increase their spending. Conversely, consumers who don't currently engage with Black Friday grocery promotions are much harder to persuade.
For supermarkets, this means clearer messaging is more about building trust than increasing awareness. With consumers sceptical about whether seasonal discounts are genuine, retailers need to demonstrate real savings rather than relying on attention-grabbing headlines. Transparency, consistency and proof of value will likely outperform louder promotional campaigns.
Discovery happens before shoppers enter the store
The research challenges assumptions about where consumers discover new brands during Black Friday. Influencers, online video, streaming platforms and social media are the channels most likely to introduce shoppers to products they later purchase.
On the other hand, owned retail channels - including supermarket websites, apps and in-store displays - play a stronger role in converting existing demand than creating it, and this has significant implications for marketing strategy.
If the goal is to introduce shoppers to new products or encourage consideration before purchase, ad investment should happen earlier in the customer journey through inspiration-led media. Supermarket apps and in-store messaging remain valuable, but primarily for helping consumers complete purchases they've already decided to make.
Black Friday's evolving role - what next?
Black Friday is no longer just a technology event but hasn’t yet secured a strong association with grocery shopping. Consumers now see it as a way to manage the cost of Christmas, and that hands supermarkets a genuine opportunity. The grocery category hasn't yet planted its flag on Black Friday, which means there's still time to shape what shoppers expect. Retailers that focus on real value, communicate their offers clearly and tailor messaging to different shopper segments will be best placed to capture earlier festive spending.
As household budgets stay under pressure, Black Friday is becoming less about impulse buying and more about financial planning. The territory is still open. The supermarket that moves first, marketing with genuine value in mind, can claim Black Friday as its own and redefine what the event means for millions of UK shoppers.
A note on methodology:
The study is based on a nationally representative panel of 500 UK shoppers, split evenly by gender and weighted toward younger, active shoppers.