Hypetap's research and analysis division, Hypetap Intelligence, has released new data highlighting the escalating significance of Black Friday to consumers.

The data reveals a notable decline in the influence of Boxing Day on consumer spending, with Black Friday-related influencer posts doubling since 2021, indicating a growing trend of brands leveraging influencers to capitalise on the shopping event.

Black Friday mentions saw a 20% increase in 2023 compared to the previous year, while Boxing Day mentions experienced a 10% decrease. Influencers are beginning to promote Black Friday deals earlier than before, with some mentioning the event as early as September in 2023. Captions featuring both 'Black Friday' and 'gift' have seen a 60% increase over the last two years, suggesting consumers are using the event to purchase presents ahead of Christmas.

Mentions of 'online' in Black Friday captions have been on the rise, while mentions of brick and mortar stores have declined. Online shopping is expected to surpass in-store shopping for the first time this year, driven by influencer marketing.

"Instinctively we knew that the presence of Black Friday is increasing," said Hypetap’s data science lead, Dr Melissa Gray. "But the velocity in which consumer interest is increasing was surprising, as well as the specific role it plays in gifting and online purchasing behaviour."

"Black Friday is a relatively recent phenomenon in Australia and New Zealand," said Hypetap Managing Director, Bryce Coombe. "So this data-driven intelligence allows our clients to make highly informed, specific and smart decisions to optimise their activity and get an unfair share of the Black Friday boom."