Black Friday continues to dominate as one of the biggest shopping events of the year, with 2024 showing impressive growth in both online and in-store sales. In 2024, online sales reached a remarkable $10.8 billion, reflecting a 10.2% increase.
For brands, preparing year-end discounts require careful planning to align with consumer preferences. To successfully run this biggest sale season in 2024, U.S. fashion brands are utilizing Inflow’s digital manufacturing platform to effectively launch product assortments. The platform integrates historical data and predictive tools, offering real-time insights into competitor offerings and customer demands. This helps brands identify which items perform well at regular prices and which only sell when discounted. By analyzing these trends, brands can optimize inventory and strategically implement discounts, maximizing profitability while ensuring their product assortments align with market needs.
2024 Black Friday: Key Insights
2024 Black Friday saw that clothing and accessories were among the top-purchased categories, accounting for nearly half of all Black Friday purchases. Discounts in this category averaged around 24%, with consumers favoring deals on timeless and trendy items. While many items saw steep discounts during Black Friday 2024, some, like suede garments, remained at full price due to high demand.
Suede is one of the top trending fabrics for the FW '2024 to Spring '2025 season, people have a good notice on those garments. So offered deeper discounts on other outerwear categories, such as down jackets and knitwear, to quickly clear inventory. Next, sportswear emerged as a new trend, reflecting the growing emphasis on a healthy lifestyle in future fashion. Activewear items like slim-fit leggings, yoga pants, and casual pieces became bestsellers for brands like Adidas, Zara, Alo Yoga, and Puma. These items not only appealed to activewear enthusiasts but also tapped into the broader trend of casual, versatile fashion that blends functionality with comfort.
European and U.S. markets are seeing sharper discount strategies as stock levels remain high post-summer sales. Discounts of up to 40% are anticipated in many regions. Especially, they are increasingly approaching the sales operations with AI-driven tools to identify stock turnover rates, aiding brands in pinpointing where to apply discounts most effectively.
Besides, these brands leverage AI tools to source materials, categorize product assortments, and scale manufacturing for major sales events like Black Friday and the Thanksgiving season. AI-driven solutions aren’t limited to design or sales platforms; they are also integrated directly into the apparel production process. Inflow has successfully partnered with top fashion brands such as Ralph Lauren, Steve Madden, Urban Outfitters and Backwoods from the U.S., and Love, Bonito from Thailand, among others, to streamline their production and enhance efficiency.
On Black Friday, the use of GenAI-driven features grew by 6% week over week as customers are leveraging AI features to find the best products aligned with their expectations and standards, 36% searching for deals on Google and 24% on social media and integrated GenAI into their sites or apps saw a 9% higher conversion rate. (Source: DemandSage)
What should you prepare for next sale opportunities?
To satisfy the technology market these days, a fashion brand cannot run without any AI-driven features in hand. A platform like Inflow provides real-time insights into consumer behavior, fashion competitor’s secrets and stock performance, helping refine discount strategies. Where you can find a more innovative solution for apparel manufacturing with the available supplies of whole things you need for your winning in this challenging game.
With advanced AI tools for trend forecasting, fashion brands gain real-time insights into sales data, top-selling products, precise pricing, and optimal order quantities. Plus, AI-driven design generation and Virtual Try-ons accelerate production by up to 4X, enabling brands to create trending products and fit AI-generated models seamlessly with just a few clicks. These features empower faster, smarter, and more innovative workflows in the fashion industry.
Absolutely, certain apparel assortments remained at full price as retailers strategically applied discounts based on historical sales data and inventory levels, while those requiring aggressive markdowns. By tracking key metrics and understanding customer demands, brands can develop more effective demand plans, ensuring success during the sale event and optimizing strategies for post-discount purchases.
Invest in targeted ads and promotional campaigns on Google and social platforms to maximize visibility. Early notification of discounts was a key preference among shoppers, with many wanting advance knowledge to plan their purchases. With consumers increasingly accustomed to mobile apps that offer instant access and real-time notifications, brands can capitalize on this trend by integrating pre-sale marketing strategies into their app experiences.
Additionally, eco-conscious brands have tapped into the rising consumer demand for sustainably and ethically produced goods. To stay competitive, brands must swiftly transition their garments to sustainable products made from durable materials and crafted through ethical manufacturing practices. Inflow, as a leading on-demand manufacturing platform, leverages advanced AI-driven solutions to deliver sustainable and ethical production at scale.
As we enter 2025, the majority of consumers are deeply passionate about eco-friendly materials while staying attuned to rapidly evolving trends. This dynamic landscape demands unprecedented flexibility from players in the fashion industry. For brands aiming to optimize your performance during Black Friday and subsequent sales seasons, understanding these dynamics and tailoring strategies accordingly will be crucial.
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