Analysis suggests Black Friday spending growth driven by prices, not volume
What happened
Neil Saunders provided analysis to Newsweek regarding Black Friday spending trends. The report noted that while U.S. online spending reached a record $11.8 billion in 2025, transaction volumes barely moved. The analysis found that average selling prices rose 8% in the U.S., compared to 5% globally, a gap tied directly to tariffs.
From wsbradio.com
Why it matters
The analysis suggests that the growth in consumer spending is driven by price inflation rather than increased purchasing volume. Furthermore, the report indicated that the top 10% of earners account for roughly 48% of all consumer spending, while 30% of shoppers planned to spend less.
From wsbradio.com
Who's involved
- Neil SaundersResearcher who provided market analysis to Newsweek
- NewsweekWeekly magazine that published the market analysis
Who could feel it
Possible knock-on effectsThese are possibilities Brind reasoned out, not predictions, and not advice. Most are not stated in any report.
- AmazonSpeculative
Amazon might face pressure on sales volume due to stagnation in the retail sector.
- Victoria’s SecretSpeculative
Victoria’s Secret could see challenges in revenue recovery due to confirmed broader consumer financial stress.
- FactSetSpeculative
FactSet could benefit from critical, timely data on retail pricing and volume trends.
Keep exploring
The entities involved
-
Neil Saunders
researcher (ORCID 0000-0003-2139-6107)
Nothing else this week.
-
Newsweek
weekly magazine based in New York City