Cyber Week 2024: 11 billion messaging interactions give insight into holiday shopping trends

The holiday shopping season has changed drastically from what it was famous for in the past. We no longer see massive lines outside department stores, people camping out in tents on the eve of Black Friday, or the rush to get the items on your wish list as soon as the store doors open.

That’s not to say that consumers aren’t still shopping on Black Friday – they are simply shopping differently.  

Customers now prefer the convenience of mobile and online shopping, where they can compare deals and find the best prices in the comfort of their homes.

Leading this change to a more phygital holiday season is mobile messaging via digital channels with rich messaging capabilities – the channels customers use daily. Channels like SMS and MMS are still experiencing high traffic during Cyber Week, but it’s the digital chat apps that have experienced the largest growth YoY. Brands are changing the way they approach customer experiences to match the shopping habits and preferences of their customers.

Let’s explore what we learned about how brands communicate with customers by analyzing over 11 billion interactions that occurred on our platform this Cyber Week.

Black Friday started off as, and has traditionally been, a brick-and-mortar sale day. But in 2024, shoppers took to their devices and ordered 10% more online than last year – amounting to 10.8 billion USD spent.

Shoppers love the convenience and ease of online shopping, especially for major sale days like Black Friday. Retailers are getting better at offering well-rounded experiences for customers that make organizing and shopping on these hectic days easier. Messaging plays a major part in that. The more customers shop online, the more businesses need to engage with them from purchase to delivery.

A few examples of messages that are sent on Black Friday that contribute to the messaging surge include:

The channels with the most growth on Black Friday were digital channels with rich messaging capabilities:

WhatsApp: 84% more interactions compared to 2023

Viber: 58% more interactions compared to 2023

RCS: 3.9x more interactions compared to 2023

Apple Messages for Business: 4.5x more interactions compared to 2023

These channels have rich messaging capabilities that make the customer experience simpler and more convenient. Brands can use digital channels to send promotional messages with personalized product recommendations and special offers using images and videos to engage the customer.

They also have the capability of allowing customers to shop for products directly in the chat app, and in some instances complete their payment without having to switch between screens or applications.

Digital channels make the online shopping experience more streamlined and conversational – exactly what customers are looking for this year.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the most advertised days during Cyber Week. This year, messaging on those days combined hit a 25% increase compared to last year. But in 2024, shoppers grew increasingly more active on Saturday and Sunday of Cyber Week:

Black Friday has evolved from a one-day in-store sale to an online weekend phenomenon. With extended deals from brands, shoppers can browse products, save them, compare pricing, and purchase with the sale price when they are ready. Shoppers are approaching Black Friday as they do any other online shopping experience – with taking more time to decide on their purchases, and “window shop” for longer. The urgency of the sales remains, as shoppers are still limited to only a few days to grab deals, while also offering flexibility to the customer by extending sales through to Monday.

With the surge of online shopping this year, retailers are not the only ones that feel the impact of Cyber Week. Transportation and logistics businesses also experienced a major influx of messaging.

Delivery and transport businesses had to stay on top of things during Cyber Week, quickly confirming orders, delivery times, and shipments to keep customers happy. With more online orders coming in all weekend—not just on Black Friday or Cyber Monday—there was a big jump in shipment updates, delivery notifications, and customer questions. Shoppers wanted to know exactly where their orders were, putting extra pressure on businesses to provide real-time updates. The extended shopping frenzy made clear how important smooth, automated communication is to handle the rush and keep everything running smoothly.

Cyber Week deals have spread worldwide. Let’s take a look at how different regions are adopting the shopping season sales and how mobile messaging plays a part.

14% increase in overall messaging compared to 2023

Top channels during Cyber Week:

54% increase in overall messaging compared to 2023

Top channels during Cyber Week:

Busiest industries during Cyber Week:

Black Friday is becoming more popular in these countries:

Industries with the most interactions on Black Friday:

Industries with the most interactions on Cyber Monday:

Customers are more and more eager to shop during November for deals than ever before. The current economic state has forced customers to stretch every dollar and find the best deals possible. It might be the reason why shopping hasn’t slowed down despite hard times.

Brands have realized one of the best ways to adapt to the needs of customers during this busy season is through mobile messaging. Here are some key takeaways from Cyber Week 2024 that can help build a messaging strategy for next year:

Holiday shopping is never really over. Next up is Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s, Eid and even Valentine’s Day. More and more brands have become accustomed to offering deals on seasonal holidays and offering simple and efficient messaging support during these busy times can make your reputation with customer’s skyrocket.