Black Friday has also established itself in Switzerland as one of the most important days for online commerce – this is confirmed by the transaction volumes of this year's Black Friday, 29th November. However, another clear trend is emerging this year: sales records are already being achieved on the Thursday before the actual Black Friday. Thus, not only is Black Friday becoming established, but the entire Black Week as a sales period.

Record Numbers at a Glance: Black Friday and Black Week 2024

Data analysis from Payrexx shows that Black Friday and the entire Black Week offer immense sales potential if Comerciante act in a timely manner.

The Most Important Facts:

• 82 per cent more sales on Black Friday compared to the Friday of the previous week – a clear increase in consumption.

• 23 per cent higher shopping basket value on Black Friday 2024 compared to the daily average of the two weeks before.

• Long-Term Trend: Compared to Black Friday 2020, sales had grown by 16.8 per cent by 2024.

• Early Starting Offers: Thursday before Black Friday is already one of the strongest sales days of the week.

• Increased Desire to Buy: Consumers plan to spend up to 400 francs on Black Friday and purposely plan their purchases for this day.

The following graph illustrates the transaction volume in a weekly comparison and shows clearly that the sales figures in the Black Week are significantly higher compared to the previous week and the highest turnovers are achieved on Thursday and Friday of the Black Week. The data makes it clear: Comerciante who start early with their offers can exploit the full potential of the Black Week.

Transaction volume in week 47 (week before Black Friday) and week 48 (Black Week)

The total sales on Black Friday, which have risen since 2020, as well as the increasing shopping basket values again show that consumers are willing to spend more money and time their purchases precisely for this period. According to an analysis by Bring Labs and the Swiss Retail Federation, consumers are even ready to spend around 400 francs on Black Friday 2024.

The following diagram shows the upward trend in online sales in recent years. The average transaction volume per online Comerciante increases with an average sales growth of just under 6 per cent per year since 2020.

Average transaction volume from 2020 to 2024 (comparison Black Friday / previous Friday)

Buying Behaviour: When and What is Bought?

A look at the purchase times in the following graphic shows clear peak sales times: most transactions were made between 8 and 11 AM and between 2 and 3 PM. These times are particularly relevant for Comerciante who want to specifically place their offers and use the demand in these peak hours.

Temporal evaluation of the number of transactions on 22.11.2024 and 29.12.2024

According to Statista, consumers were particularly interested in products from the categories of technology/electronics and fashion during the Black Friday week. Other popular categories were furniture, cosmetics, toys, and health. With discounts in these categories, online Comerciante can particularly score points with their customers.

Payment Behaviour: How is it Paid Online?

The most frequently used payment methods for online purchases on Black Friday 2024 reflect the increasing variety and preferences of buyers. The trend towards fast, secure, and flexible payment options is particularly clear.

• TWINT: 59.3 per cent of purchases were paid with TWINT. The Swiss payment method is particularly popular in Switzerland because it offers a quick, secure, and convenient payment option via smartphone – simply by QR code, without requiring a card.

• Credit and debit cards: 34 per cent paid with credit or debit cards. Thus, these payment methods are among the most popular again this year, as they enable a fast and secure payment process.

• Digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay: The convenience and ease of use make these options particularly attractive for buyers who want a quick and secure transaction.

• Purchase on Account: This method is becoming increasingly popular because buyers only have to pay after receiving the goods.

• Real-time Transfer: Particularly customers from Germany prefer direct transfer from a bank account, as these transactions are very fast and secure.

For online Comerciante who want to optimise their payment processes, the Swiss payment provider Payrexx offers a solution that integrates all common payment methods such as credit cards, digital wallets, Pay by Bank, Purchase on Account and national options like TWINT and PostFinance. This allows Comerciante to appeal to a wide target group and benefit from seamless payment processing – especially during peak times on Black Friday.

Additionally, Payrexx offers special e-commerce tools like Paylink and QR Pay, which are also useful beyond Black Friday. With Paylink, Comerciante can easily send invoices via a link and QR Pay enables quick payments via QR code – perfect for on-site businesses.

Interested Comerciante can sign up any time for free and test all functions of Payrexx free for 30 days.

Data Collection

The Swiss payment provider Payrexx conducted the present data collection with 1120 SME companies. These included Comerciante from various sectors such as event services, classic online shops, health services, education, and gastronomy.

The data refers to transactions processed via the Payrexx platform. The period measured was from 18.11.2024 to 1.12.2024, between 0.00 and 23.59.