If we were to roll back to late 2020, with our eye on the 2021 Q4 retail peak period, most of us would surely have presumed that the global pandemic would have subsided… We’d be back to some semblance of normality, allowing us to shop for the products and services that we wanted, through the channels we wanted to use.

Instead, although restrictions in some parts of the world continued, and in others were lifted, we were starting to hear about the Omicron variant; the COVID-19 pandemic was definitely not over.

So, what did that mean for Black Friday? How was spending affected? What was bought, and from where? In this report we attempt to answer these questions, and many more, across 3 key markets – the UK, the US and China.

And why do we want to know? Because as consumers get more and more expectant and demanding of these peaks, it requires that retailers, brands and marketplaces are better prepared.

By analyzing consumer responses, we hope to help brands and retailers prepare as best they can for the 2022 Q4 mega-peak – a peak that is increasingly important to their yearly performance and survival.

So, sit back and strap in for a whistle-stop tour of the data you need to know about Black Friday and the Q4 mega-peak 2021.