At A Glance
Black Friday 2023 revealed that consumers didn’t stop spending, they shopped more selectively. They bought earlier, prioritized mobile, and valued convenience and flexibility. For 2024, marketers should prepare sooner, unify data across channels, and focus on personalized, omnichannel experiences powered by Experian’s identity and audience solutions.In this article…
Holiday 2024 campaign planning is already underway, and the competition for attention will be fierce. Before budgets are finalized and promotions launch, it’s worth taking a data-led look at trends from Black Friday 2023, and what that means for your 2024 strategy.
Experian’s data shows that although shoppers remained cost-conscious, they didn’t stop spending. They simply changed how they spent—shopping earlier, mixing online and in-store purchases, and prioritizing value and convenience. For marketers, these behaviors highlight the importance of connected, data-driven experiences built on trusted identity and insight.
2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report
Download our latest report, in collaboration with GroundTruth, for data-driven insights you can use to refine your messaging and reach the right audience in their preferred channels this holiday season.
What 2023 taught us about holiday spending
Consumer spending slowed but didn’t stop. Inflation and cautious budgets reshaped buying habits, yet U.S. shoppers spent a record $9.8 billion online, a 7.5% increase year-over-year. In-store visits grew 4.6%, proving omnichannel engagement is now standard. Shopify also reported $4.1 billion in global sales across apparel, beauty, and home goods, with 75% of purchases on mobile.
Key takeaway for 2024
Consumers didn’t stop spending, they became more deliberate. Marketers must meet value-conscious shoppers with connected, data-driven experiences across every channel.
When consumers shopped in 2023
Shoppers didn’t wait for Black Friday weekend. Experian’s 2023 Holiday spending trends and insights report found that early deal-seeking peaked in October, as shoppers responded to pre–Black Friday promotions. Cyber Week (Black Friday through Cyber Monday) still played a major role, representing 8% of total holiday spending.
Key takeaway for 2024
Start promotions earlier and align creative, audience targeting, and measurement strategies by mid-summer to capture early intent.
View our 2025 Holiday spending trends and insights here.
Behavioral spending trends to expect in 2024
Marketers can expect several 2023 Black Friday trends to continue through the 2024 holiday season:
Online and mobile will dominate
Online spending continues to outpace in-store, and mobile is leading the charge. In 2023, 54% of all online Black Friday sales occurred on mobile, up 10% year-over-year. Optimizing mobile UX, digital wallets, and push notifications will be critical to keep brands visible at the point of decision.
Consumers will shop earlier
Gallup found that one in four consumers now starts holiday buying by September. Marketers need to push planning and production cycles forward and launch early-bird incentives across digital and in-store channels.
Experiences over things as gifts will grow
A growing segment of shoppers, particularly those with higher disposable income, are gifting experiences (concert tickets, classes, travel packages) over physical items. In a 2023 survey, one in five respondents said they’d prefer to get an experience as a gift over an item. Retailers can adapt by bundling tangible gifts with experiences or hosting “giftable” events that deepen engagement.
Preference for digital channels will continue
Connected TV (CTV) ad spend is expected to grow 20% in 2024, offering new opportunities to reach audiences where they watch. With Experian’s identity and audience solutions, you can target consistently across CTV, social, and digital platforms to manage frequency and performance more effectively.
What consumers bought in 2023
Clothing and electronics led both in-store and online purchases in 2023, followed by toys, health and beauty, and household appliances.
| Category | Percent of in-store buyers | Percent of online buyers |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing and accessories | 82% | 79% |
| Electronics | 73% | 66% |
| Toys | 49% | 44% |
| Health and beauty | 48% | 44% |
| Household appliances | 44% | 36% |
These patterns show that trusted brands win across every channel. Marketers can use Experian’s purchase-based and category-specific audiences to target high-intent buyers ready to buy both online or in-store.
Marketing strategies that worked in 2023
Last year was a year of growth, albeit slow growth, despite economic uncertainty. Here are some of the marketing strategies deployed that contributed to this growth.
Influencer collaborations
Influencers shaped shopping behavior more than ever: seven in 10 shoppers said creator recommendations influenced a purchase. Live product showcases and social content helped brands reach new audiences and reinforce trust.
Cross-channel marketing campaigns
Successful brands unified experiences across email, SMS, CTV, and web.
To maximize sales during the Cyber Five holiday season, activate Experian Audiences as part of your omnichannel campaign. Our offerings include meticulously curated behavioral segments based on discount indicators such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Coupons/Sales. These segments help you target shoppers who are ready to take advantage of your promotions and are primed for early conversion. Our marketing data was ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset, which means you can power better marketing initiatives, like insights, targeting, and measurement using the highest rated data.
App-only and loyalty offers
App-exclusive deals boosted app-driven sales by 12% year-over-year. Brands that offered exclusive deals through their mobile apps incentivized customers to download and use the app for their purchases, which helped to increase sales through a dedicated channel.
Limited-time and early-access offers
Flash deals, one-day sales, and member-only previews continued to drive urgency during Cyber Week. Retailers that offered limited, targeted value (like Bath & Body Works single-day storewide promotions) achieved higher conversion efficiency than broad discounting.
Predictions for Black Friday 2024
Based on what we’ve seen in 2023, we expect the following trends to shape consumer behavior on Black Friday and beyond in 2024.
Mobile will lead digital sales
Expect mobile to exceed 55% of online sales. Black Friday mobile orders increased from 2022 to 2023, with over 50% of all Black Friday sales occurring on smartphones.
As a marketer, this means you should ensure your website is optimized for smartphones and tablets. Ensure load speed is quick, navigation is simple, designs are intuitive, and mobile payment options are available. You also have an opportunity to invite your customers to sign up for SMS or push notifications so they can shop deals immediately after they’re rolled out.
While mobile should be a priority, we still recommend investing in multiple channels to capture online shoppers everywhere they’re buying. Our Offline and Digital Graphs can help you unify data, capture user activity, and view your target audience holistically to optimize ad spend, allocate resources effectively, and improve ROI.
Early planning will define success
Brands will finalize creative and inventory by midsummer to meet September shoppers. Data enrichment can help you prepare early Black Friday promos by providing deeper insights into your customers and what they want.
On average, Experian has 250 behavioral and demographic marketing attributes per individual, which means we can decorate households and people with marketing data to get a full customer profile and fill in any gaps you have on your audience. You can also consider implementing sell-side targeting to help your promotions reach the right people.
BNPL usage willrise
As inflation persists in the U.S., shoppers will still be looking for ways to stretch their money this year, and many may seek out BNPL arrangements. According to Deloitte, 37% of shoppers have used these services, and these arrangements have proven to increase conversions by up to 30%.
With so many shoppers wanting the financial convenience of making large purchases without the immediate financial burden, marketers can use data enrichment to identify their target segments most likely to use BNPL and create personalized offers and promotions for them. Your strategy should include high-value offers and messaging that appeal to budget-conscious shoppers and a checkout optimized for BNPL options.
Channel switching will surge
Consumers will move fluidly between mobile, web, and in-store experiences, which means integrating data from various touchpoints will be crucial to understanding and predicting customer behavior. Marketers must develop cohesive omnichannel strategies with consistent messaging and promotions across channels. Your campaigns should span multiple channels so customers can engage with your brand in various ways.
We work with major platforms, marketers, and agencies, which means we have existing partnerships across the ecosystem for you to connect with and bring your consumer data to life to meet your needs.
Paid search will drive the most sales
Adobe reported paid search as the largest revenue driver during Cyber Week 2023, responsible for 30% of online sales. In 2024, marketers should prioritize paid search strategies and focus on using relevant, high-performing keywords for your campaigns. You can continuously refine your strategies using AI and data analytics to target high-intent customers. Additionally, integrating insights from customer behavior data will help you create more personalized, impactful ad copy and heighten the effectiveness of your paid search efforts.
How Experian enables 2024 holiday success
Experian’s marketing solutions help brands connect identity, insights, and outcomes across every touchpoint:
- Audience intelligence. Activate curated seasonal and behavioral audiences based on verified purchasing and discount-seeking patterns.
- Identity connection. Link ad exposures to household and individual behaviors through Experian’s Digital Graph connecting digital and offline data for a unified customer view.
- Omnichannel activation. Reach shoppers across more than 150 channels through our data and technology partnerships.
- Performance measurement. Use Experian Outcomes and lift analysis to tie spend directly to visits, conversions, and sales impact.
Drive your 2024 holiday success with Experian
The brands that win Black Friday 2024 will be those that plan early, act confidently, and measure with accuracy. Experian’s identity and data foundation powers connected commerce across every channel.
Get in touch with our team to plan your 2024 Black Friday and holiday campaigns.
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As Earth Day approaches, it’s the perfect opportunity for marketers to explore innovative ways to engage with eco-conscious customers. With a strong and growing interest in sustainable business practices worldwide, green audiences are becoming increasingly influential. In addition to being good for the planet, engaging these customers is great for any brand or organization striving to become more eco-friendly and socially responsible. By taking advantage of this timely event and using appropriate tools, you can create personalized campaigns that will both promote your brand and increase customer loyalty. Eco-conscious audiences In this blog post, we'll cover three eco-conscious audiences to target this Earth Day: Solar energy GreenAwareTM Electric vehicles Solar energy Our first eco-conscious audience is Solar energy. Consumers in this audience show an inclination toward harnessing the power of the sun as a clean, renewable energy source. Our audience data can provide valuable insights into the Solar energy consumer base, including their age, education level, occupation, household income, and communication preferences. Let's explore these metrics to better understand how to reach this group effectively. Age and living situation Consumers in our Solar energy audience are more likely to live in a home with two or more adults and are between the ages of 45-74. Education level and occupation Consumers in our Solar energy audience are more likely to have graduated from college or graduate school and work in management-level occupations. Household income Consumers in our Solar energy audience have household incomes of more than $75,000 and their homes are valued at over $550,000. Preferred engagement channels Consumers in our Solar energy audience are most receptive to ads served through digital channels like digital newspapers and email. Solar energy audience pairings Consumers in our Solar energy audience also belong to three of our Mosaic® USA groups: Power Elite Flourishing Families Booming with Confidence Our consumer segmentation portal of 126 million households and 650 lifestyle and interest attributes empowers marketers like you to precisely target your ideal audience and communicate with them on a personal level. Mosaic’s data segments the U.S. into 19 overarching groups and 71 underlying types, giving you the insights needed to anticipate the behavior, attitudes, and preferences of your most profitable customers and communicate with them on their preferred channels, with messaging that resonates. GreenAware Our second eco-conscious audience is GreenAware. GreenAware segments the 126 million U.S. households within Experian Marketing Data into four distinct groups. Each group differs in their attitudes and behaviors toward purchasing products that are environmentally safe and working with companies that are eco-conscious. We created these groups using an enhanced application of traditional statistical clustering techniques based on environmentally relevant measurements in Simmons' National Consumer Study. Based on the distinctive mindset of consumers toward the environment, you can learn how environmental concerns fit into their lives through four major consumer segments: Eco-Friendly Enthusiasts Sustainable Spectators Passive Greenies Eco Critics Let's dive deeper into each group to understand their unique perspective on the environment and how this impacts their attitudes and behaviors. Eco-Friendly Enthusiasts This eco-conscious segment prioritizes a green lifestyle and takes pride in avoiding products that harm the planet. With traditional and liberal values, they embrace optimism and prioritize family. With their children out of the house, they take the time for some well-deserved rejuvenation and are committed to a healthy lifestyle. Some members of this group are transitioning into retirement and welcoming a new chapter in their life. Mature adults and retirees College graduate or more Above average income May be married or single Typically own their homes Sustainable Spectators This segment aspires to be more sustainable, but they struggle with translating their green ideas into action. They have a soft spot for a cozy home. While their love for interior design and taking care of their own space is evident, they're always looking for new experiences and opportunities to learn. Staying healthy and active is a top priority for this group, so it's no surprise that they're always looking for ways to stay fit and feel their best. Established and mid-life adults College graduate or more High income Typically married Likely to own their homes Passive Greenies This is the largest and one of the most youthful groups. Known for their love of exploration and self-discovery, they may not have fully embraced eco-conscious behaviors yet, but they are eager to stay current with the latest technology and trends. With their incredible ability to multitask, they're always on-the-go, and constantly seek the next best thing. Mainly young adults and diverse Education ranges from high school through some college Below average income More likely to be single or divorced Typically rent Eco Critics This group is not likely to be eco-conscious and may have negative attitudes about the environment. They are confident, driven, and focused on their personal growth. They crave instant gratification, seeking out quick and easy solutions to their everyday decisions. 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Education level and occupation Passive Greenies are more likely to work Blue Collar jobs and have the lowest level of education. As the wealthiest segments, Sustainable Spectators and Eco Critics have the highest levels of college degrees and work in management, business, and financial operations. Eco-Friendly Enthusiasts are the most likely to be retired and out of the workforce. Preferred engagement channels Streaming TV is the preferred engagement channel for all GreenAware segments. Eco-Friendly Enthusiasts prefer digital channels like digital newspapers, mobile SMS, and email. They also engage with traditional channels like direct mail and newspaper. Passive Greenies have a high preference for digital display, mobile SMS, digital video, broadcast cable TV, and radio. Eco Critics have a high preference for digital channels like digital newspapers, mobile SMS, and digital display. Sustainable Spectators strongly prefer digital newspapers. 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As EVs become more prominent, it's essential to stay up to date on relevant trends to make informed decisions about what lies ahead. The demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is on the rise Consumers are embracing the EV revolution, showing their desire for a cleaner, greener future. Automotive marketers are increasingly looking to reach in-market EV shoppers and current alternative fuel vehicle owners due to the growing availability of electric vehicles, improved infrastructure, and rising popularity. In 2022, EVs charged up the market and accounted for a remarkable 6% of new retail registrations. While Tesla continues to dominate the EV market, Ford, Chevrolet, and Hyundai are starting to compete, each holding more than 3% of the market share of new retail EV registrations. Geography Where are we seeing the most new retail EV registrations? The top designated market areas (DMAs) for new retail EV registrations are mostly located in heavily populated, coastal cities like Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY. The fastest growing DMAs, however, are in smaller cities like Tucson, AZ and Oklahoma City, OK. Generational demographics Gen X and Millennials make up the largest percentage of new retail EV buyers at 37.5% and 34.4%. Gen Z and the Silent generation represent the smallest shares at 5% and 2.1%. Boomers hover between Gen X and Millennials' share and account for 20.6% of new EV retail purchases. EV audience pairings Our top five Mosaic groups for new EV buyers include: American Royalty Cosmopolitan Achievers Philanthropic Sophisticates Couples with Clout Fast Track Couples How to target consumers in-market for electric vehicles We offer 70+ audiences that are focused on likely buyers and owners of EV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles. We also offer a subset of 28 audiences focused on individual EV/PHEV vehicle models. Below is how you can find a few of these audiences on-the-shelf of most trusted advertising platforms: Autos, Cars, and Trucks > In Market-Fuel Type > Electric Autos, Cars, and Trucks > In Market-Fuel Type > Used Electric Autos, Cars, and Trucks > In-Market Make and Models > Tesla Autos, Cars, and Trucks > In-Market Make and Models > Chevrolet Bolt EV We can help you reach eco-conscious consumers Earth Day is a great opportunity to get creative with your marketing efforts with our three eco-conscious audiences: Solar energy, GreenAware, and electric vehicles. To find out how you can add eco-conscious audiences to your marketing plan, contact us. Get in touch Latest posts

Advertisers are always looking for ways to improve the targeting and effectiveness of their campaigns. One strategy that's gaining popularity lately is using curated private marketplace (PMP) deals, allowing advertisers to buy premium ad inventory in a private auction environment. But how do data providers and PMPs work together to make PMP advertising more successful? What is a private marketplace (PMP)? Advertising PMPs, or private marketplace deals, are a type of programmatic advertising where advertisers and publishers negotiate and set up a direct deal between themselves to buy or sell advertising inventory in a private auction environment. In PMP deals, publishers can make their premium inventory available to a select group of advertisers, who can bid on it in a private auction using demand-side platforms (DSPs). These private auctions typically offer higher-quality inventory and a more targeted audience than open exchange auctions, which are accessible to all advertisers. However, traditional PMPs had their limitations, including often being limited to accessing inventory from a single publisher group. Audigent takes PMP advertising to the next level with SmartPMPs Audigent's key differentiator is that instead of activating audience data from the DSP, which is the industry standard, they integrate directly with supply-side platforms (SSPs). By taking this route, audience data and inventory from hundreds or even thousands of publishers can now be packaged together into a single deal ID / SmartPMP. SmartPMPs empower media buyers with the ability to access and buy against unique, customizable data segments on premium curated publisher inventory in combinations that otherwise would not have been available. Activating data via the supply-side also enables supply-side optimizations. This means that instead of simply being a data provider, Audigent plays an active role in the success of media buyers' programmatic campaigns by optimizing toward performance goals in coordination with demand-side buyers. The result is the full alignment of demand- and supply-side technologies for the first time in programmatic. SmartPMPs drive campaign performance Audigent performance data compared to the programmatic open exchange: How Experian and Audigent partner in PMP advertising Experian and Audigent collaborate using Consumer View audience data. By supplying valuable insights into users' interests, behaviors, and demographics, we help advertisers create more targeted and personalized ad campaigns with Audigent. This can lead to higher engagement rates, greater brand awareness, and increased conversions for Audigent and Experian clients. By activating Experian data via Audigent SmartPMPs, advertisers unlock the ability to reach highly engaged users across premium, curated inventory sources on key channels like connected TV (CTV), display, video, and more. Unlock the potential of programmatic advertising with us Our strategic collaboration with Audigent is transforming the programmatic advertising space. Our partnership enables our customers to tailor their ads directly to their desired audience. This elevated personalization results in higher conversion rates and optimized campaigns for superior ROI performance. Contact us for more information about our digital audience segments on the Audigent platform. To learn more about our partner Audigent, visit www.audigent.com. Contact us Get in touch Latest posts

A successful back-to-school campaign strategy starts with identifying the key audience segments to target. Over half of all searches related to back-to-school happen within a select group of consumers – knowing which ones can go a long way in forming an effective marketing strategy. Focus on this smaller, targeted set to maximize your efforts. With over $72 billion projected in total U.S. back-to-school retail sales this year, you can capture more spend than ever before during this big shopping season by tailoring your strategy to a smaller set of targeted shoppers. Experian data can help you make the most of your back-to-school campaigns by uncovering the top five back-to-school audiences. What separates Experian's syndicated audiences Experian’s 2,400+ syndicated audiences are available directly on over 30 leading television, social, programmatic advertising platforms, and directly within Audigent for activation within private marketplaces (PMPs). Reach consumers based on who they are, where they live, and their household makeup. Experian ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset for key demographic attributes such as Presence of Children. Access to unique audiences through Experian’s Partner Audiences available on Experian’s data marketplace, within Audigent for activation in PMPs and directly on platforms like DirectTV, Dish, Magnite, OpenAP, and The Trade Desk. Five audience segments for 2023 Our data provides key insights into who these shoppers are and how to reach them, allowing you to create personalized content tailored to their needs. What are the top five audiences you should add to your 2023 back-to-school campaign? High-Net-Worth Households Bilingual Multi-Generational Households Suburban Savvy Shoppers Young Suburban Families Tech-Savvy Families What do these audiences look like? Who are they? Where do they shop? Let's review each audience in a little more detail. High-Net-Worth Households This group consists of households with above-average income and education levels. They often lease luxury cars, purchase products in every channel, travel extensively, and are philanthropic supporters of the arts. Key features Wealthy Highly educated Lease luxury cars Purchase products in every channel Travelers Philanthropic supporters of the arts Bilingual Multi-Generational Households Large households in multilingual neighborhoods, filled with married parents and their kids. They are financially cautious, bilingual, and participate in team sports. Key features Bilingual Large households Married with kids Financially cautious Team sports Suburban Savvy Shoppers Middle-aged couples and families who earn above-average incomes, maintain active lifestyles, and spend their money on quality home products and furnishings. Key features Affluent Athletic activities Home products & furnishings Sporting goods High-priced children’s clothing Young Suburban Families This segment includes households in the middle child-rearing stages of life, typically with a dual income household and multiple children of school age. They typically have spacious single-family residences in suburban neighborhoods that are slightly above average in housing values. On weekends, these suburban young families often engage in activities like skateboarding, biking, and video games with their children. Key features Comfortable lifestyle Children’s games Wholesale members Family-centric activities Tech-Savvy Families Highly educated, affluent couples in their peak earning years, with a preference for both traditional and digital media, who live in upscale housing and are savvy investors and environmental philanthropists. Key features Highly educated Affluent Upscale housing Savvy investors Environmental philanthropists Tech apprentices Watch our 2024 video for tips from industry leaders for back-to-school In our new Q&A video with Experian experts, we explore changing consumer behaviors surrounding back-to-school shopping in 2024. In the video, we discuss: Anticipated shifts in consumer behaviors and shopping habits Tactics we predict marketers will employ to navigate signal loss Which channels will be the most successful And more! Watch now Need a custom audience? Reach out to our audience team and we can help you build and activate an Experian audience on the platform of your choice. Additionally, work with Experian’s network of data providers to build audiences and send to an Audigent PMP for activation. Contact us Latest posts