How Much Was Actually Spent on Black Friday?
Record Online Spending
Black Friday 2025 set a new record for online shopping.
In the US, consumers spent $11.8 billion online in just 24 hours, up roughly 9% from the year before. This confirms that Black Friday is no longer just about queues outside stores – it’s about fast checkouts, phone screens, and targeted discounts.
Global Spending at Scale
Worldwide, Black Friday spending is estimated at around $79 billion, once both online and in-store purchases are included.
Despite concerns about inflation and economic uncertainty, shoppers across the US, UK, and Europe still engaged heavily with Black Friday promotions.
Fashion Was One of the Biggest Categories
In the UK, Black Friday spending reached an estimated £6.4 billion, with fashion consistently ranking as one of the most popular categories, alongside electronics and beauty.
Clothing, shoes, and accessories are especially well-suited to Black Friday:
- Prices are easy to discount
- Purchases are often impulse-driven
- Items are trend-led rather than essential
This combination makes fashion one of the most active – and most competitive – areas of Black Friday shopping.
What These Numbers Really Show
Without placing blame on consumers, the data points to a few clear realities:
- Black Friday spending remains extremely high
- Fashion continues to be a major driver of sales
- Online shopping dominates the event
- Large spending totals don’t necessarily mean purchases were affordable
To understand what “affordable” really means during Black Friday, it’s important to look not just at how much was spent – but how people paid for it.
The Rise of Buy Now, Pay Later on Black Friday
Over the past few years, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) has become a normal part of Black Friday shopping.
What was once a niche payment option is now built directly into online checkouts, often sitting alongside debit cards, credit cards, and PayPal. For many shoppers, BNPL is no longer a last resort – it’s simply another way to pay.
During Black Friday, BNPL usage consistently spikes.
In recent years, estimates suggest that between 20% and 30% of online Black Friday purchases in key markets like the US and UK involved some form of BNPL or short-term financing. This includes services such as Klarna, Clearpay, Afterpay, and Affirm.
The appeal is simple:
- Payments are split into smaller amounts
- There is often no interest if paid on time
- The checkout feels faster and less financially “heavy”
For shoppers facing rising living costs, BNPL can feel like a practical solution – especially during a sales event built around urgency and limited-time discounts.
Why BNPL Fits Black Friday So Well
Black Friday creates a perfect environment for BNPL to thrive.
The event is driven by:
- Time pressure (“today only” deals)
- Heavy discount messaging
- Fear of missing out
- High-volume online shopping
BNPL removes friction at the exact moment a purchase decision is being made. Instead of asking, “Can I afford this right now?”, the question often becomes, “Can I afford this instalment?”
This subtle shift plays a major role in how people shop during Black Friday – particularly when browsing multiple deals across different retailers in a short space of time.
BNPL Is No Longer Just for Big Purchases
Originally, BNPL was marketed as a way to spread the cost of larger items, such as electronics or furniture.
Now, it’s increasingly used for:
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Accessories
- Trend-led fashion items
Many BNPL transactions during Black Friday are for relatively low-cost fashion purchases – often under £100 – but spread across multiple retailers and orders.
This matters, because while individual payments may look manageable, the total spend can add up quickly.
A Shift in How Spending Is Measured
When Black Friday spending figures are reported, they typically focus on total transaction value – not whether those purchases were paid upfront or financed.
This means record-breaking sales numbers don’t always reflect disposable income or true affordability. Instead, they often reflect how easy it has become to delay payment.
To understand why fashion plays such a central role in this shift, it’s important to look at where BNPL is used most – and fashion consistently sits at the top of that list.
Fashion’s Role in Buy Now, Pay Later Spending
Fashion has become one of the largest and most consistent categories for Buy Now, Pay Later spending – especially during Black Friday.
Across major BNPL providers, clothing, footwear, and accessories regularly rank at or near the top for transaction volume. During sales events, this trend becomes even more pronounced.
This isn’t because fashion is uniquely irresponsible or unnecessary. It’s because the way fashion is sold today fits perfectly with how BNPL works.
Why Fashion Dominates BNPL
There are a few clear reasons fashion and BNPL are so closely linked:
- Prices sit in the “instalment sweet spot”: Many fashion items fall into a range where splitting payments feels easy and justified – often £50-£200.
- Purchases are frequent: Unlike electronics or furniture, clothing is bought regularly. This makes repeat BNPL use more likely.
- Trends move quickly: Fashion is seasonal and trend-driven, which creates pressure to buy now rather than wait.
- Returns are normalised: Many shoppers expect to return items, making upfront payment feel less necessary.
During Black Friday, these factors combine with heavy discounts and limited-time messaging, increasing both purchase volume and reliance on deferred payment options.
Black Friday and the “Basket Effect”
One of the less visible effects of BNPL in fashion is how it changes basket size.
Instead of buying one item outright, shoppers often:
- Add extra items to reach “better value”
- Place multiple small orders across different sites
- Justify purchases because each instalment feels manageable
This can result in higher total spending, even when individual purchases feel affordable in isolation.
Fashion and Perceived Affordability
BNPL doesn’t change the price of fashion – it changes how the price feels.
By spreading payments over weeks or months, the full cost becomes less visible at the point of purchase. This can blur the line between:
- What is affordable
- What is simply accessible through financing
During Black Friday, when deals are framed as rare opportunities, this effect becomes even stronger.
What This Tells Us About Black Friday Fashion Spending
The high use of BNPL in fashion doesn’t necessarily mean people are spending recklessly. Instead, it highlights how:
- Modern fashion retail encourages speed and volume
- Payment methods are designed to remove friction
- “Affordability” is increasingly defined by instalments, not price
To understand whether this actually helps consumers in the long run, it’s worth asking a bigger question: does financing fashion truly make it more affordable?
Does Financing Fashion Make It More Affordable?
At first glance, Buy Now, Pay Later can feel like it makes fashion more affordable.
A £120 jacket becomes four payments of £30. A £200 pair of trainers is spread across a few weeks. The price hasn’t changed – but the payment feels easier to manage.
This is the key distinction.
BNPL doesn’t reduce the cost of fashion. It changes when the cost is paid.
Affordability vs Accessibility
True affordability is about whether something fits within someone’s budget without causing strain.
BNPL, on the other hand, focuses on accessibility:
- Can the purchase be made right now?
- Can the first payment be covered today?
This shift matters because it moves the decision away from total cost and towards short-term comfort.
For many shoppers, especially during Black Friday, the question becomes:
“Can I afford this instalment?” rather than “Can I afford this item?”
Why This Feels Helpful – Especially During Sales
During Black Friday, BNPL often feels like a solution:
- Discounts lower the headline price
- Instalments soften the immediate impact
- Limited-time deals create urgency
Together, these factors make purchases feel responsible, even when they weren’t planned.
In the moment, this can genuinely help people spread spending across a busy period – particularly around winter, gifting season, and end-of-year expenses.
Where the Problem Starts to Appear
Issues arise when instalments stack up.
Because fashion purchases are frequent and often low-to-mid priced, it’s easy to:
- Use BNPL across multiple retailers
- Overlap payment schedules
- Lose track of total commitments
Each individual purchase may feel manageable, but the combined total can quietly exceed what would have felt affordable if paid upfront.
BNPL Changes How Value Is Perceived
When payment is delayed, the link between price and value weakens.
Shoppers are less likely to:
- Compare long-term wear or quality
- Question whether something is worth its full price
- Pause before adding extra items
This doesn’t mean BNPL is inherently bad. It means it changes behaviour – particularly in a category like fashion, where trends move fast and purchases are often emotional rather than essential.
What This Means for “Affordable Fashion”
Financing can make fashion easier to buy, but that doesn’t always make it easier to afford.
Understanding that difference is key to evaluating whether Black Friday – and the payment methods behind it – are actually helping consumers, or simply shifting the pressure to a later date.
Next, we’ll look at why this approach doesn’t solve the underlying problem, and how pricing, trends, and marketing play a bigger role than payment methods alone.
Why This Doesn’t Solve the Underlying Problem
Buy Now, Pay Later can help spread the cost of a purchase, but it doesn’t address the reason many people feel the need to finance fashion in the first place.
The core issue isn’t how people pay – it’s how fashion is priced, marketed, and consumed.
Fashion Prices Haven’t Become More Accessible
Over time, fashion prices have risen across many categories:
- Basic items cost more than they used to
- “Mid-range” prices are increasingly common
- Premium branding is applied to everyday products
While wages haven’t always kept pace, BNPL fills the gap – not by lowering prices, but by making higher prices feel manageable.
Trend Cycles Are Faster Than Ever
Fashion moves quickly. Trends are now shaped by:
- Social media
- Influencers
- Weekly product drops
- Constant “newness”
This creates pressure to keep up, especially during events like Black Friday, where discounts suggest a rare chance to buy before styles disappear.
BNPL supports this system by removing the pause that usually comes with paying upfront.
Marketing Frames Spending as Smart
Black Friday messaging often focuses on:
- “Saving money” rather than spending it
- Percentages off, not final cost
- Instalments, not totals
When combined with BNPL, the narrative becomes:
“You’re being responsible by spreading the cost.”
In reality, the total amount spent often remains the same – or increases.
Payment Methods Can’t Fix Value
No payment method can turn an overpriced or short-lived item into good value.
BNPL doesn’t change:
- How long something lasts
- How often it’s worn
- Whether it was actually needed
It simply delays the moment when the cost is fully felt.
A System That Shifts Pressure Forward
Instead of solving affordability, BNPL often shifts financial pressure into the future.
For some people, this works fine. For others, especially those making multiple purchases, it creates a cycle where spending feels easier than paying it back.
To understand the full impact of this shift, it’s important to look beyond individual purchases and consider the longer-term effects – both on consumers and on the fashion industry itself.
The Long-Term Impact on Consumers and the Fashion Industry
As Buy Now, Pay Later becomes a normal part of fashion shopping – especially during events like Black Friday – its impact extends beyond single purchases. Over time, it shapes expectations, habits, and even how the fashion industry operates.
Debt Becomes Normalised
One of the most noticeable long-term shifts is how comfortable consumers have become with carrying small amounts of ongoing debt.
BNPL doesn’t usually feel like debt in the traditional sense:
- Payments are smaller
- Interest is often absent if paid on time
- The language used avoids words like “credit” or “borrowing”
This can make it easier for balances to quietly build up, particularly when fashion purchases are frequent and spread across multiple retailers.
Spending Feels Detached From Income
When purchases are financed, spending becomes less directly tied to available income.
Instead of shopping based on what’s affordable now, consumers may shop based on:
- Future pay cycles
- Expected income
- The assumption that payments will “work themselves out”
Over time, this can distort budgeting and make it harder to judge what’s genuinely affordable.
Returns and Over-Ordering Increase
In fashion, BNPL also interacts with a growing culture of returns.
Shoppers may order:
- Multiple sizes
- Several versions of the same item
- Items they’re unsure about
Because payment is delayed, the risk feels lower – even though returns still carry hidden costs for brands, logistics networks, and the environment.
Brands Are Incentivised to Push Volume
From the industry side, BNPL encourages higher transaction volumes.
Brands benefit when:
- Basket sizes increase
- Conversion rates improve
- Fewer customers abandon checkout
This can reinforce strategies that prioritise speed, trend turnover, and frequent drops – rather than durability, long-term value, or price restraint.
Affordability Becomes a Perception, Not a Reality
Perhaps the biggest impact is how affordability is redefined.
Instead of meaning reasonably priced, affordable increasingly means:
- Payable in instalments
- Manageable in the short term
- Easy to commit to quickly
This shift benefits the system as a whole – but doesn’t always benefit consumers in the long run.
With all of this in mind, it’s worth stepping back and asking a final question: what should affordable fashion actually mean?
Final Thoughts: What “Affordable Fashion” Really Means
Black Friday spending figures are often presented as a sign of success – for retailers, for the economy, and for consumer confidence. But when a growing share of that spending is financed, those numbers deserve a closer look.
Buy Now, Pay Later has changed how people shop for fashion. It has made purchasing easier, faster, and more accessible in the moment. For some, it offers flexibility. For others, it quietly blurs the line between affordability and delay.
The key issue isn’t whether BNPL should exist. It’s whether relying on financing has become a substitute for genuinely affordable pricing.
Affordable fashion isn’t about splitting payments. It’s about:
- Prices that reflect real value
- Clothing that lasts beyond a trend cycle
- Spending that fits within a budget without future pressure
Black Friday doesn’t need to disappear, and fashion doesn’t need to stop being exciting. But affordability shouldn’t depend on how far a payment can be pushed into the future.
Understanding that difference matters – not just during sales events, but in how we think about fashion spending year-round.
