It was fantastic to run into Philip Hall, Managing Director Europe, at Rithum Live London 2025, and we asked him his thoughts on Black Friday, is all the hype of the day really what it’s all about, and why he says that the post event performance is just as important as the run up to the biggest sales event of the year! This is what he had to say:
Black Friday is no longer the defining moment of the retail calendar. Once seen as the single biggest sales opportunity of the year, this shopping moment is being reshaped by consumer expectations, the rise of AI and a more fluid approach to promotions.
Recent sales events across October, from Prime Big Deal Days to major retail promotions in the UK and US highlight a significant change in how shoppers behave. Consumers are still spending, but they’re doing so on their own terms, and they’re using technology to shop more strategically and intentionally than ever before.
Deal fatigue is reshaping consumer behaviour
For years, major sales events have thrived on urgency, the countdown clocks and the flash deals designed to trigger impulse buys. But shoppers are now increasingly tuning out that noise.
Our data highlights a decline in activity on big sales event days like Prime Day. Consumers are less responsive to hype and more likely to take their time to assess value before purchasing. In several categories, spending actually increased after the main sales event days ended, indicating that shoppers are pausing to compare offers before making a decision.
This doesn’t mean they’re spending less, rather they’re spreading their spend across a longer period and prioritising more thoughtful purchases. Retailers should interpret this as a shift in mindset as today’s customer is less driven by a big sales day and more focused on getting genuine value.
AI and comparison tools drive intentional purchasing
Artificial intelligence and comparison technology are playing a major role in this behavioural shift. Shoppers no longer need to rely on brand messaging or limited time events to find deals, they can use AI to monitor prices, track product availability and even predict when discounts are likely to occur.
This trend has made purchasing more intentional. Consumers are moving away from impulse driven buying and using data to inform their decisions. Instead of responding to urgency they’re shopping with purpose, by buying the right product at the right time for the right price.
The knock on effect for retailers is clear: loyalty and discovery are no longer guaranteed. Many shopping journeys now begin with a simple question asked to an agentic AI platform instead of starting on a brand’s website. For example asking “Where can I get this cheaper?” Those results increasingly determine where consumers spend their money.
Retail calendars are becoming fluid
The idea of fixed sales moments is becoming outdated. Where retailers once anchored their calendars around big tentpole events like Prime Day or Black Friday, the sales cycle is now becoming more continuous and flexible.
In the US, Walmart’s decision to split its Black Friday event into two extended periods across November is a clear reflection of this. It’s a strategy that spreads consumer demand over time and aligns with how people are now shopping, less about a single burst of activity and more about ongoing engagement and rolling offers.
In the UK and Europe, a similar shift is expected as retailers recognise that shoppers are no longer waiting for a single date. The focus will increasingly move toward maintaining consistent value and visibility throughout the year, not just at key moments.
Post event performance outpaces event day
One of the most interesting outcomes of recent sales periods is the shift in when spending actually happens. Many retailers reported higher activity after the main event ended, as shoppers revisited items they had researched earlier or waited to see if prices dropped further.
This delayed purchasing behaviour shows how consumers are using sales events as a time to browse and benchmark, rather than to buy immediately. The traditional event day spike is flattening, replaced by a longer and more distributed spending curve.
For retailers, this means that success shouldn’t be measured on event day performance. The post event period is becoming just as important, if not more so for conversion.
AI is redefining customer loyalty
Loyalty is also undergoing a transformation. For years, customer loyalty was built through connection, convenience or membership perks. Now it’s being redefined by algorithms and AI.
AI shopping agents and comparison tools have made consumers loyal to the experience rather than the brand. Shoppers are increasingly turning to technology to decide what and where to buy, basing their trust on value and convenience rather than brand familiarity.
In this environment, discovery has become decentralised. Visibility across multiple channels from marketplaces to social platforms to search is now essential. Large Language Models are set to overtake traditional organic search by 2028, therefore content, insight, and fulfillment become more important in guiding consumer decision making. The brands that succeed will be those that focus less on owning the customer outright and more on being consistently discoverable wherever the customer chooses to shop.
Looking ahead to Black Friday and beyond
As we approach Black Friday, it’s clear that the conventional retail strategy is evolving. Shoppers are in control, influenced by technology, driven by data and no longer bound by the urgency of one day only events.
Retailers that continue to rely on hype or discount driven urgency may find it harder to cut through. Those that adapt to the new way of shopping, offering transparency, consistency and seamless discovery across platforms will be better placed to capture long term value. It’s more important than ever to have visibility across all your marketplaces and closely track where you’re gaining and losing speed as the rules get rewritten in real time.
The shift from impulse to intention is not a short term reaction, it’s a permanent change in how people shop. Black Friday may still draw headlines, but for today’s consumers the real shopping journey doesn’t happen in a single day it happens everyday.
