Online shoppers were clicking away on Black Friday 2022.

Retailers saw an 11% increase in day-of Black Friday site traffic—with traffic in the Beauty & Health category rising by 26%. Site traffic rose increased for every retail vertical, with the exception of consumer electronics and footwear.

This resulted in a 5% increase in the number of orders, and a 1% increase in average order values compared to Black Friday 2021, according to Bluecore’s Retail Marketing Insights Report.

The report shows that Black Friday shoppers are spending more on themselves within categories like health and beauty—and they’re also prioritizing self-care and luxury purchases this year.

Increases are being fueled by Millennial “revenge-spending,” Bluecore says, which is spending on high-ticket items, like jewelry and luxury, that they can afford since interest rates and the housing market have put home purchases out of reach.

Fayez Mohamood, CEO of Bluecore, comments, “Consumers started their holiday shopping earlier than ever this year and are navigating higher product costs due to inflation. These trends, paired with retailers’ efforts to bring back their existing shoppers — rather than simply attract new ones — resulted in more loyal shoppers buying from brands they already trust.” 

Mohamood adds, “The sheer volume of shoppers who made repeat purchases during Black Friday speaks to the massive opportunity for retailers to grow through identifying anonymous shoppers and focusing on engagement to drive more purchases and long-term growth.”

Beauty Shoppers Viewed a Product 14 Times Before Buying 

During the weeks leading up to Black Friday, shoppers viewed an average of 6 products 12 times each before purchasing on the day of Black Friday. But in the Health & Beauty category, shoppers viewed a product 14 times before buying it on Black Friday. 

This makes sense since there is so much competition in the beauty industry—and consumers seem to be doing their research and reading reviews before making a purchase. 

More Insights on Beauty Shoppers

• An average of 37% of brands’ total Black Friday shoppers were first-time buyers, but first-time buyers decreased by 5% compared to last year.


• The number of shoppers buying for the fifth time or more increased by 17%. Fifth-time buyers and beyond made up the second-highest group of shoppers, accounting for 31% of Black Friday purchases. In the health and beauty category, 50% of brands saw the highest percentage of fifth-time buyers and beyond.


• Seventy-four percent (74%) of Black Friday ecommerce shoppers were unidentified by brands. Brands could only identify an average of 2% of the total new shoppers they encountered.


• Retailers focused on driving repeat purchases, not just attracting first-time shoppers. Of all shoppers who made a first purchase from a brand in 2022, an average of 5% returned to make another purchase on Black Friday. Brands were also able to entice 2.3% of shoppers who made a November purchase to make another purchase on Black Friday. Health & Beauty brands, at 6.6%, experienced higher-than-average repurchases on Black Friday.

More About the Data

Bluecore looked at shoppers’ real-time and historical Black Friday shopping patterns, as well as their interactions with products (including purchases), across 138 retail brands and eight retail categories. The report is a comprehensive look at this year’s day-of Black Friday consumer behaviors, as well as a comparative look at Black Friday 2021.

Bluecore analyzed 729 million shopper events on brands’ ecommerce sites, including shoppers viewing products and completing sales transactions. The resulting data was derived from 91 million first-party cookies and represents interactions with 4 million unique products, 3.2 million orders, and $388 million in total sales.