The 2025 Pre-Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) period has again demonstrated the holiday shopping season’s dynamic and hyper-growth nature. Early data from Stord’s live 2025 Black Friday Cyber Monday tracker, spanning from Sunday, November 23rd, through Wednesday, November 26th, reveals significant year-over-year increases in order volumes, Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), and Average Order Value (AOV) across multiple retail categories.
Unpacking the 2025 BFCM Performance Dynamics
The initial days of the 2025 BFCM season exhibited exponential growth, characterized by concentrated shopping patterns and a significant uplift across diverse product categories. Understanding these dynamics is critical for refining future peak season strategies.
Overall, the period ending 11:59 PM Eastern Wednesday, November 26th, registered a 28% year-over-year growth in total GMV. This was driven by substantial increases in orders shipped, notably a 370% year-over-year jump for Monday alone. Key delivery destinations remained consistent, with California, Texas, Florida, and New York serving as primary hubs. International orders also saw notable expansion, with the EU experiencing a 112% increase on Monday, reflecting evolving global consumer engagement.
Category-specific performance highlighted varied growth trajectories and demand spikes:
- Health & Beauty demonstrated exceptional growth, with a 7,143% year-over-year increase in overall orders shipped for Monday. By Wednesday, B2B GMV grew 290% year-over-year, and DTC GMV increased by 53% year-over-year. This category also saw a 122% year-over-year lift in DTC AOV on Monday.
- Apparel & Accessories experienced a 492% year-over-year increase in orders shipped for Monday, with Wednesday sales maintaining a 259% year-over-year increase. A significant 317% increase in average order value was noted on Monday.
- Nutrition & Supplements reported a 957% year-over-year lift in DTC AOV by Wednesday, alongside a 10% year-over-year increase in orders shipped for Wednesday sales.
- CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) showed a 287% year-over-year lift in DTC AOV by Wednesday, with a 55% year-over-year growth in DTC GMV.
Shopping patterns revealed distinct peak periods. Health & Beauty, along with Apparel & Accessories, predominantly saw shopping activity from 7 AM to 12 PM with notable spikes at 9 AM, 10 AM, and 11 AM. CPG had activity from 6 AM to 11 AM with a significant spike at 9 PM on Wednesday. These precise hourly data points underscore the need for granular operational and marketing synchronization.
Summary: The 2025 pre-BFCM data confirms a landscape of rapid, often explosive, growth across multiple sectors. The significant year-over-year increases in key metrics and the clear concentration of demand during specific hours and in particular geographies demand an agile, data-informed response from enterprise leaders.
Summary
The 2025 Pre-Black Friday performance data serves as a compelling reminder of the rapid evolution and immense scale of modern holiday retail. The documented hypergrowth in orders, GMV, and AOV, coupled with concentrated shopping patterns, underscores the necessity of a highly agile and data-informed operational framework. Senior marketing and CX leaders must translate these raw insights into concrete strategic actions. This includes establishing robust data integration, optimizing fulfillment networks with clear governance and risk controls, and continuously refining customer experience initiatives. By prioritizing immediate post-event analysis and investing strategically in scalable technologies and marketing personalization grounded in consent, enterprises can not only manage but actively capitalize on the dynamic opportunities presented by future peak shopping seasons.
