What Shoppers are Saying on Facebook Leading Up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Get ready for some of the biggest online shopping events of the year by seeing what topics are popping around the world—and how you can join these conversations.
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The holiday season seems to come earlier every year, for retailers and shoppers alike. Though Thanksgiving preparations are still underway, people are already making their shopping lists for the holidays, and talking about it on our platform. November brings three of the biggest online shopping days worldwide—Singles’ Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday—which collectively accounted for more than $37 billion of retail therapy worldwide in 2017 alone.1 With the excitement from Singles’ Day still fresh, and in the build up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, shoppers are in the throes of sharing gift ideas and seeking advice online.
On Facebook, the anticipation has been building. To help marketers and local businesses join in the conversations happening now, Facebook IQ analyzed global conversation data on Facebook during the first 8 days of November, well before these online shopping events. These insights can shed light on how and where shoppers are driving these discussions and what they may care about this year.
What are the top topics of conversation?
People on Facebook have been readying themselves for online shopping sprints—millions of conversations about holiday shopping are already underway around the world. Based on hashtags included in these conversations, we learned that discussions were centered on all things Black Friday (#blackfriday), holiday season gifting (#gift, #christmasgifts), along with relationships and loved ones (#love, #family). People also expressed support for small and local businesses (#shoplocal).
Globally, nearly 19 million peoplehad close to 40 million interactions related to holiday shopping on Facebook in early November2
Top hashtags related to holiday-shopping conversations globally on Facebook in early November3
1. #blackfriday
2. #christmas
3. #holidays
4. #gift
5. #shoplocal
6. #shopping
7. #love
8. #family
9. #christmasgifts
10. #thanksgiving
Who’s leading the shopping conversations?
Compared to men, women are contributing to 3x more conversations about holiday shopping on Facebook, indicating a strong interest in starting shopping activities earlier than their male counterparts, from seeking the best discounts to gearing up for events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
People ages 18–34 might be most active with holiday-shopping conversations, but people ages 35–54 are discussing these topics nearly as much, which shows a similar early interest not only in holiday shopping but also using Facebook to seek inspiration and ideas.
Where are the most shopping conversations taking place?
Holiday shopping is a global phenomenon—the top five countries participating in conversations on Facebook about holiday shopping4 are spread out across four continents: North America (US, Canada), Europe (UK), Africa (South Africa) and Asia (the Philippines).
In the US, which leads holiday-shopping conversations on Facebook worldwide, people in New York City5 are most engaged in conversations about holiday shopping compared to other cities in the country.
When it comes to holiday shopping, even borders are blurring. Online retail days, like Singles’ Day in China, are rapidly growing outside their native countries. Additional research has also revealed the rising trend of cross-border shopping—over half of digital buyers studied in Europe6 and Asia-Pacific7 indicated they have already purchased on a foreign website. Forrester predicts that cross-border ecommerce sales will reach $627 billion by 2022, a 120% increase compared to 2017.8 Today, businesses of all sizes have the opportunity to reach new markets and connect with engaged shoppers who are already seeking their year-end purchases.
What it means for marketers
Fuel shopping experiences with mobile.
Whether getting advice, finding inspiration or seeking reviews, people are already having discussions about holiday shopping on Facebook, underscoring the importance of mobile this holiday season. Connect with engaged shoppers through snack-able, mobile-ready content. Make it easy for shoppers to move from browsing to buying by optimizing for the small screen and removing friction points in your UX. Learn more about how you can maximize sales this holiday season.
Reach new audiences in new markets.
Expand your reach by connecting with customers across borders, from the islands in the Philippines to the buzzing city of Los Angeles. Use the Audience Insights tool to learn more about international audiences.
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