Boots is on track to become one of the UK’s most searched-for retailers this Black Friday.
Searches for Boots are forecast to jump 17 per cent year on year to 1.78 million during Black Friday week, putting it alongside Currys in joint fourth place, according to new data from MediaVision.
It’s a shift in the traditional Black Friday pecking order, which has long been dominated by electronics retailers and big-ticket purchases.
Amazon is still expected to comfortably hold the top spot with 7.19 million searches, although that represents a one per cent decline on last year.
Argos is forecast to remain second with 2.83 million searches, down two per cent, while Currys is also expected to see interest slip two per cent.
Next, meanwhile, is gaining ground, with searches predicted to climb 10 per cent to 1.9 million, making it the only other retailer in the top five expected to achieve double-digit growth.
The findings, based on four years of consumer search behaviour analysed through MediaVision’s Metis platform, suggest shoppers are broadening their focus beyond the traditional Black Friday heavyweights.
MediaVision chief executive Louis Venter said: “Black Friday has traditionally been dominated by retailers offering big-ticket discounts, particularly in technology and electronics. But consumer interest is no longer concentrated in those categories alone.
“Brands that have built strong relationships with shoppers throughout the year are in a good position to capitalise when the sales period arrives.”
Beauty brands face mixed fortunes
Beauty is expected to see the biggest seasonal boost in search interest of any retail category this Black Friday, with demand forecast to reach 1.6 times the level of a typical week.
However, not every retailer is set to benefit.
Boots is expected to attract more than three times as many searches as its nearest beauty rival Superdrug, which is forecast to grow seven per cent to 527,000 searches.
Sephora is also expected to perform well, with searches rising eight per cent, while Rituals is tipped for an 18 per cent jump.
The picture is less encouraging for Charlotte Tilbury, where searches are predicted to fall 14 per cent, while Cult Beauty and The Perfume Shop face declines of nine per cent and eight per cent respectively.
Sol de Janeiro, which enjoyed a surge in popularity last year, could see search demand plunge 45 per cent.
MediaVision senior manager Molly Goffin said beauty’s reliance on social media trends and new product launches could make it difficult for brands to maintain momentum.
“Black Friday gives brands opportunity to convert existing interest into sales, but discounts alone won’t necessarily bring shoppers back year after year,” she said.
“The brands best positioned to succeed are those giving customers reasons to engage beyond promotional periods, whether that’s through products people genuinely want, cultural relevance or strong sense of brand identity.”
As reported earlier this month, separate research from Omnisend found that UK shoppers are expected to spend 32 per cent less across Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, despite more consumers planning to take part.
Meanwhile, latest BRC figures show shoppers held back on big-ticket purchases in October as they waited for November discounts.
MediaVision’s forecasts are based on UK Google search demand for 1,006 retail brands and 471 products, drawing on Black Friday search trends between 2022 and 2025 alongside more recent consumer interest.
While the figures measure search demand rather than actual sales, they offer an early indication of which retailers are capturing shoppers’ attention ahead of Black Friday on 27 November.
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