UK shoppers set to spend £10.2bn on Black Friday with Gen Z leading the way

Black Friday shoppers are set to spend an average of £430 each in the sales, an increase of £91 per person on last year and amounting to over £10.2 billion.

That’s according to Barclays Consumer Spend research carried out between 24-28 October 2025 by Opinium Research on behalf of Barclays, with over 2,000 respondents providing a representative sample of UK consumers by age, gender, region and income group.

Of those surveyed, 43% plan to shop in the Black Friday sales (up from 37% in 2024), rising to 76% among Gen Z.

One in four (26%) UK adults have also been saving money to spend during the Black Friday/Christmas sales period which, combined with pre-Budget anticipation, contributed to subdued spending in October - when retail recorded its steepest fall in sales (-0.5%) since November 2024.

Amid ongoing cost pressures, consumers are adopting savvier habits, with 19% prioritising essential purchases over luxury items, while 45% will use the sales to pick up discounted Christmas presents.

However, 44% of respondents say they do not look forward to the seasonal sales as much as they used to. 68% are doubtful about the real value of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, and 65% believe such sales events encourage unnecessary spending.

The Barclays Consumer Spend research also shows that 8% of UK adults will use tools such as Gemini and ChatGPT to source and compare deals, doubling for Gen Z, at 17%.

Across all age groups, one in eight (13%) believe AI tools are more effective than traditional search engines when it comes to deal hunting, suggesting use of this technology as an aid to sales shopping will increase next year.

Other figures from Barclays’ Black Friday report include:

• Those aged 18-27 are also most likely to hit the high street this Black Friday, at 40%, whereas Baby Boomers are most inclined to shop online (81%).
• Social e-commerce platforms such as TikTok Shop, are set to be a popular choice for Gen Z shoppers, at 45% - three times the 15% for shoppers aged 28 or over.
• Of those planning to shop in person, 55% plan to visit shopping centres, 39% their local high street, and 28% their closest major city.

Rohan Kumar, Head of Barclays Spend Insights, said: "Our historical transaction data proves that Black Friday remains a vital retail milestone, with volumes typically spiking on the day itself (this year on Friday 28 November).

"October’s slowdown was potentially a signal that this year’s sale will outperform 2024, after shoppers held out for discounts and deals. With any luck, retailers will see a considerable spike and food and drink businesses will benefit from the resulting footfall."

Harshna Cayley, Head of Payment Acceptance at Barclaycard Payments, added: "Retailers will undoubtedly be hopeful that a Black Friday boost will set the tone for a strong ‘Golden Quarter’ this year.

"The sales event is now more of a marathon than a sprint, with 60% of shoppers starting their search as early as October, presenting businesses with ample opportunity to engage savvy consumers on the hunt for deals."

Demonstrating the enduring popularity of Black Friday, Barclays’ proprietary data shows that Black Friday 2024 (29 November) was the busiest day of the year for transactions, with retail volumes up 83.7% in comparison to the daily average.

While three in 10 (29%) still consider the annual event as the best time bag a bargain, sales scepticism is beginning to set in.

Barclays sees nearly 40% of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, providing unique insight into UK consumer spending.