Black Friday & Gen Z: Trends & Insights
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Black Friday 2025: Gen Z Leads the Charge, Shifting Holiday Shopping Patterns
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November 7, 2025 – A new survey reveals a generational divide in Black Friday shopping habits, with Generation Z and Millennials increasingly prioritizing the post-Thanksgiving sales event while older demographics favor later-season purchases.
What’s Happening: A Generational Shift in Holiday Spending
Black Friday is experiencing a surge in popularity among younger consumers, according to exclusive data shared with CNBC. The Morning consult‘s 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey, commissioned by AT&T Business, found that 40% of Generation Z and 32% of Millennials intend to complete the majority of their holiday shopping on Black friday. In contrast, older generations demonstrate a preference for shopping closer to Christmas, typically within a week or two of the holiday.
Why Gen Z and millennials Favor Black Friday
The appeal of Black Friday to younger consumers is largely driven by pricing and promotional offers, and also extensive advertising campaigns. According to the Morning Consult survey, Gen Z is particularly drawn to the perceived value and discounts available during the Black Friday period. This aligns with broader trends indicating Gen Z’s price sensitivity and strategic approach to shopping.
“Black Friday is always such a big deal, and the pricing and the offers and advertising that’s done during that time is problably what would draw Gen Z, especially,” said a representative from AT&T Business in a statement to CNBC.
Older Generations’ Shopping Timeline
Baby boomers and Generation X shoppers tend to delay their holiday purchases, preferring to shop closer to Christmas. This behavior may be attributed to factors such as a less urgent need for early discounts or a preference for a more relaxed shopping experience. They may also be less influenced by the hype and urgency associated with Black Friday.
This divergence in shopping timelines presents a challenge for retailers, requiring them to implement differentiated marketing and promotional strategies to effectively reach each demographic.
Data Breakdown: Generational Shopping Intentions
The following table summarizes the key findings from the Morning Consult 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey regarding Black friday shopping intentions by generation:
| Generation | Percentage Planning to Shop Primarily on Black Friday |
|---|---|
| Generation Z | 40% |
| Millennials | 32% |
| Generation X | 21% |
| Baby Boomers | 15% |
Source: Morning Consult