Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) have evolved from single-day sales events into an extended holiday shopping season that tests every aspect of your e-commerce operations. Your deliveries face heightened expectations during the season when delays are most likely to occur, with one in three consumers ready to blame your brand rather the carrier when things go wrong.
The annual peak season data initiative by Ingrid reveals benchmarks from 250+ retailers and 180+ markets to support brands in making informed decisions instead of relying on one-size-fits-all guesswork. If you need to understand how delivery preferences differ across markets, benchmark your shipping economics against industry standards, or plan smarter for next year's peak season, this report provides the data to support strategic decisions. Let's get started.
- Online sales volume during BFCM 2025
- Delivery preferences during peak season
- Delivery promises and late deliveries
- Market insights: shipping revenue
- Market insights: delivery preferences
- FAQs
Online sales volume
On Monday, November 24, 2025, a sharp year-over-year (YoY) decline gave way to a strong Tuesday, November 25, rebound. The dip reflects a timing quirk— in 2024, Black Monday fell on Swedish payday, the market that represents about half of Ingrid's order volume.
Although Black Friday, November 28, drove the biggest order volumes overall, Sunday, November 30, revealed an interesting pattern across both 2024 and 2025 campaigns. Closing hours on Sunday deliver the highest number of orders per second of the entire Black Friday week, as consumers were making a final push to catch remaining offers before they expire.
Retail sector performance split sharply. Sports and Outdoor led YoY growth, likely driven by higher price points for performance gear and equipment, while Fashion, Home and Electronics, and Pharmacy and Health showed modest gains.
Sales volume by day of the week
In 2025, daily order volume swung dramatically throughout the Black Friday week, starting with Monday's 16% decline before Tuesday's 15% rebound, while Sunday closed with a strong 11% surge. Friday dropped 1.8% YoY, breaking from the 2024 pattern when it was a peak shopping day not only by order volume but orders per second, too. YoY order volume growth went up 2.1%, while Cyber Monday showed a slight 1.8% dip.
Average order volume by hour (UTC)
Throughout Black Week, orders started off steady in the early hours of each day, but the real action kicked in during the evening, when shoppers rushed to grab Black Friday deals. It looks like timing your promotions right can make all the difference. On average, Black Week had 5.5 orders/sec, compared to 3.1 orders/sec during a regular retail period, and peaked at 16.9 orders/sec on Sunday, November 30.
Sales volume by retail categories
Sports and Outdoor dominated Black Week 2025 with 13% YoY growth, significantly outpacing other sectors. Fashion, Home and Electronics, and Pharmacy and Health showed modest gains, while Other categories — skincare, makeup, children’s goods, pet supplies, and other necessities — slipped 1%.
Peak season delivery preferences
Traditional home delivery still captures the largest share of orders during peak season as the preferred choice for customers during high-volume periods. Out-of-home (OOH) delivery options like parcel lockers and service points — press agents, supermarkets, carrier offices — collectively rival home delivery. It suggests shoppers value flexibility and personalization at times when deliveries take longer. There's no one- size-fits-all approach.
Share of orders by delivery method
Home delivery dominated at 42,7%, service points followed with 27%, parcel lockers with 24.9%, and in-store pickup only 5.4%, which has to do with in-store pickup adoption by retailers using Ingrid Platform. Retailers like Paul Smith and Nudie Jeans are the champions of in-store pickup as fulfillment and delivery method.
Check how Paul Smith grew revenue by 28% during BFCM 2024
Share of orders with free shipping
Four in ten orders come with a shipping fee — that’s about a 2 percentage point (p.p.) decrease compared to 2024. Retailers get strategic with free shipping thresholds while offering premium options like express or named-day delivery to protect margins during heavy peak season discounting.
Holiday season delivery promises and delays
Throughout Black Week 2025, the average, consumer-facing delivery promise stretched from 2.7-5.6 days on Monday, November 24, to 3.8-6.6 days on Sunday, November 30, as online sales volume increased, weekend approached, and retailers added buffer time This mirrors 2024, when delivery promises gradually lengthened from Black Monday through Saturday, ranging between 3.3 and 5.7 days.
Late deliveries hit 31% during Black Week 2023 compared to an 18.5% benchmark during regular sales periods. In 2024, that figure improved to 22% for orders placed between Black Monday and Thursday. The full impact of this year's Black Friday peak won't be clear until later, but retailers will likely continue extending delivery windows and refining promise accuracy.
Learn the strategies behind setting accurate BFCM delivery promises
Delivery economics by market
Delivery economics patterns reveal strategic differences in how markets monetize delivery during Black Friday sales. Sweden led with 64% free shipping despite having the lowest average cart value, with the Netherlands close behind at 58%. Norway and the UK showed higher cart values but lower free shipping rates at 55% and 50% respectively. Denmark had the lowest free shipping rate at 46%.
Shipping revenue including orders with free delivery fell to €1.6 in Sweden up to €3.2 in Denmark. When customers did pay for shipping, adjusted shipping revenue stayed relatively consistent across markets between €4.5 and €6.1.
Sweden
Sweden showed the lowest average cart value at €98.6 yet offered the highest free shipping rate at 64.2%. Average shipping revenue including free orders was €1.6, the lowest across the five markets mentioned, while adjusted shipping revenue excluding free shipping stood at €4.5. This aggressive free shipping strategy significantly impacts overall shipping revenue capture despite consistent rates when customers do pay for delivery.
Denmark
Denmark recorded an average cart value of €99 with the lowest free shipping rate at 46.2% across all five markets. Average shipping revenue including free orders was €3.2 — the highest among the five market spotlights — while adjusted shipping revenue excluding free shipping reached €6.0. The conservative free shipping approach combined with low cart values suggests a strategy focused on protecting shipping margins rather than subsidizing delivery costs.
Norway
Norway demonstrated an average cart value of €123.7 with 49.5% of orders receiving free shipping. Average shipping revenue including free orders reached €2.9, while adjusted shipping revenue excluding free shipping stood at €5.8. The balanced approach shows moderate free shipping adoption alongside relatively strong shipping revenue when fees are applied, suggesting strategic threshold management.
Netherlands
Netherlands recorded an average cart value of €138.8, with 57.5% of orders qualifying for free shipping— the second-highest free shipping rate after Sweden. Average shipping revenue including free orders was €2.0, the lowest across all markets, while adjusted shipping revenue excluding free shipping stood at €4.8. This indicates a generous free shipping strategy that impacts overall revenue capture despite healthy cart values.
United Kingdom
The UK showed the highest average cart value at €151.2 during the BFCM week 2025, with 54.9% of orders receiving free shipping. Average shipping revenue including free orders stood at €2.8, while adjusted shipping revenue excluding free shipping reached €6.1. The relatively high cart value paired with moderate free shipping rates suggests retailers can command premium basket sizes while maintaining shipping revenue.
Delivery preferences by market
Delivery option preferences split into distinct patterns. Nordic countries showed balanced distribution across all delivery methods. In Sweden and Norway, parcel lockers and service points collectively captured over 60% of orders, with home delivery under 31%. The UK takes the opposite approach at 81% home delivery, while Denmark (62%) and the Netherlands (63%) fell somewhere between — they favored home delivery with a moderate pickup method adoption.
Sweden
Sweden's ultra-specialized shipping carrier market showed the most evenly distributed delivery preferences. Parcel lockers led slightly at 32%, followed by home delivery at 28.9% and service points at 28.5%. In-store pickup reached 10.6%, the second-highest rate after Denmark. Top carriers were PostNord, Instabox, Budbee, Early Bird, and DB Schenker. The balanced distribution across all four delivery methods reflects mature infrastructure and consumer comfort with diverse fulfillment options.
Denmark
Denmark showed strong home delivery preference at 62.2%, with service points capturing 21.5% and notably high in-store pickup at 16%, the highest across all markets. Parcel lockers remained virtually unused at 0.3%. Top carriers included PostNord, Bring, GLS Track & Trace, Budbee, and Instabox. The significant in-store pickup rate distinguishes Denmark from other markets, suggesting proximity to physical retail locations influences fulfillment choices.
Norway
Norway stood out with the most balanced delivery distribution: parcel lockers led at 36.3%, followed closely by service points at 32.6% and home delivery at 30.7%. In-store pickup remained minimal at 0.5%. The carrier landscape was led by Bring, Helthjem, PostNord, Instabox, and Porterbuddy. This nearly even three-way split demonstrates strong consumer adoption of out-of-home delivery options and flexible pickup preferences.
Read more on the last-mile delivery landscape in Norway
Netherlands
Netherlands demonstrated a balanced delivery approach with home delivery at 63.2%, followed by nearly equal adoption of service points (18.8%) and parcel lockers (17.9%). In-store pickup remained negligible at 0.1%. Top carriers included DHL eCommerce Europe, DHL, Budbee, UPS, and PostNL. The moderate home delivery preference combined with strong out-of-home adoption suggests consumers value flexibility during peak season.
Go to customer expectations in the Netherlands
United Kingdom
The UK showed the strongest home delivery preference at 81%, significantly higher than all other markets. Service points captured 13.1% of orders, while parcel lockers remained minimal at 4.9% and in-store pickup at just 1%. The carrier landscape was dominated by Evri, followed by Royal Mail, DPD UK, InPost, and UPS. The overwhelming preference for home delivery reflects UK infrastructure and consumer expectations around direct-to-door service.
Learn more about last-mile deliveries in the UK
FAQs
If you're planning for next year's peak season, negotiating carrier contracts, or deciding where to invest in delivery infrastructure, these insights should give you more context for making confident decisions instead of (educated) guesses.
How does Ingrid Platform help online retailers?
Ingrid Delivery Experience Platform makes delivery a competitive advantage for mid-market and enterprise retailers, not just a cost. We help retailers optimize delivery options at checkout, grow conversion and shipping revenue, and create better, cost-efficient returns and exchanges.
What data does Ingrid's report include?
This report uses delivery checkout data from over 250 retailers on Ingrid Platform during Black Friday 2025 with year-over-year (YoY) changes. Ingrid measures YoY performance for retailers active in both time periods, unless specified otherwise.
Who are these Black Friday data benchmarks for?
E-commerce managers, operations leaders, and executives responsible for delivery strategy, customer experience, and shipping profitability at mid-market and enterprise retail brands, both e-commerce and omnichannel.
Which markets does Ingrid support?
We're active in over 180 global markets and support 30+ languages. Nearly half of checkout orders across Ingrid Platform originate outside the Swedish home market, followed by Norway, Germany, Denmark, and Finland.
Should my retail brand have free shipping on Black Friday?
Free delivery strategies directly impact revenue capture, especially during peak seasons. When products carry steep discounts, shipping price sensitivity isn’t the same — a €15 delivery fee feels lighter against €200 in savings on a customer’s side. It’s an opportunity for brands to increase free delivery thresholds during peak season without damaging conversion rates.
Want to keep reading? Go to Ingrid Black Friday and Cyber Monday content hub
