The 2025 Black Friday Weekend proved yet again why this period remains the most important moment in the ecommerce calendar. This year continued the trend away from a single flash-sale day and toward a multi-week, multi-touch shopping season, with consumers researching earlier, purchasing more deliberately, and relying heavily on mobile, AI assistance, and flexible payment options.
Across Commission Factory’s network, Australia was one of the strongest global performers, with growth across nearly all retail categories and continued uplift in conversion rates and average order value (AOV).
And while Black Friday still dominates consumer mindshare, Cyber Monday quietly stole the spotlight in several keyways.
Black Friday vs Cyber Monday: Who Really Won?
Brands typically measure success by revenue or transaction volume and on those terms, Black Friday remained the biggest day for our brands.
But Cyber Monday told a more interesting story:
- Cyber Monday transaction volume was just 15% lower than Black Friday, demonstrating how significant this day has become.
- Higher-value purchases spiked on Cyber Monday, especially in categories like electronics and furniture, where some brands outperformed Black Friday altogether.
This reinforces why brands should treat Cyber Monday as a strategically distinct opportunity. The consumer who buys on Cyber Monday is often more considered, more research-driven, and willing to invest in higher-ticket items. Understanding these personas can help shape offer segmentation and timing.
Who Dominated Peak Season?
Sport & Athleisurewear
Australia’s ongoing love for activewear continues to defy saturation.
- 38% YoY traffic growth.
- Over 3,000+ total transactions, equivalent to two pairs of tights purchased every minute.
This category remains a cornerstone for performance-driven affiliate programs.
Electronics & Home/Garden
A standout vertical, particularly on Cyber Monday.
- 45% of brands outperformed on Cyber Monday vs Black Friday.
- Top-selling categories included fridges, mobile phones, TVs, washing machines and dishwashers.
High-value items saw an uplift driven by BNPL usage and strong consumer confidence.
Footwear
One of the best-selling categories of the entire weekend.
- 20K+ footwear items sold during Cyber Weekend
- Top performers across the vertical: Nike, Asics, Adidas, Under Armour, New Balance.
Fashion Takes the Crown
Clothing & Accessories was the breakout star of the 2025 Black Friday period.
It topped nearly every major metric:
Fashion continues to be both the volume driver and a strong earner for affiliate partners, supported by deep discounts and highly engaged audiences.
Device of the Year: Mobile Wins, Desktop Matters
Mobile dominated retail purchases, particularly in impulse and low-barrier categories. But desktop still had its moment. Considered purchases (Travel, Telco, Utilities, Financial Services) leaned heavily toward desktop browsing and buying.
This reinforces the need for brands to ensure:
- Truly mobile-first landing pages
- Fast-loading content
- App tracking where relevant
- Consistent cross-device experience
Traffic & Engagement Trends
This year, across the network, we saw higher engagement from mobile-first shoppers and an increased use of AI tools for browsing and deal comparison.
There was also a clear pivot in consumer shopping strategy, with more early-stage browsing in the first half of November across wishlist, search, and category exploration.
Industry Insights: The 2025 Black Friday Season at a Glance
Early Demand & An Extended Shopping Window
Consumers and retailers have collectively redefined “Black Friday” into a two week shopping cycle.
Key patterns:
- Many brands launched offers one week early to capture intent.
- Search activity and deal-seeking began in early November.
- Affiliates who activated early saw stronger click-through and warmed audiences by event day.
What This Means for Clients
- Prepare campaigns earlier.
- Provide affiliates with creative and offer details in advance.
- Build momentum with pre-launch content, wishlist tools and email teasers.
Strong Growth Despite Economic Pressure
Even with cautious consumer sentiment, the appetite for deals remained strong.
- Many global and AU markets saw double-digit online growth.
- Shopify reported record global Black Friday sales (+25% YoY), with Australia one of the top performers.
- Value-led offers, bundles, loyalty bonuses and reasonable discounts converted best.
Mobile, Personalisation & AI Shape Consumer Behaviour
2025 showcased the next stage of retail evolution:
- Mobile dominated last-click conversions
- Consumers relied on AI-assisted browsing and comparison engines
- Brands offering personalised recommendations, segmented offers and dynamic retargeting saw superior performance
Optimise mobile-first experiences, personalisation frameworks and leverage in-app tracking.
BNPL & Flexible Payments Boost High-Value Purchases
BNPL usage continued to rise in AU and NZ, particularly for:
- Electronics
- Furniture
- Lifestyle categories
Brands featuring BNPL early and clearly saw higher conversion rates for high-ticket items.
Heavy Retailer Participation = More Competition
With over 80% of online retailers participating globally, competition for consumer attention was fierce.
Peak season in Commission Factory mirrored this trend with a large volume of offers entering the marketplace.
Retention Becomes a Performance Driver
Brands with strong post-purchase experiences saw the best ROI from Black Friday.
We saw increased return visits where brands used:
- Loyalty programs
- Post-purchase rewards
- Retargeting and CRM-integrated affiliate flows
Final Thoughts: Peak Season Is No Longer Just a Weekend
2025 proved that Black Friday is no longer a two-day sprint. It’s an ecosystem of discovery, comparison, and value-driven purchasing that unfolds over several weeks. With consumer behaviours shifting rapidly toward mobile, AI assistance and flexible payments, the brands that win are those who prepare early, personalise thoughtfully, and partner strategically.
Commission Factory will continue equipping our brands and partners with the insights, tools and data needed to stay ahead of these evolving trends.
Commission Factory is not only the Asia-Pacific region's largest affiliate platform, working with more than 900 of the world's biggest brands, it is also a performance marketing platform that allows affiliates, partners, and content creators to earn money and online businesses to increase sales.
Connect with the Commission Factory team to learn more about how we help brands and partners build and grow their affiliate marketing strategies.