The last White Friday special offers are still hanging on the websites of many marketplaces and online stores while brands are ready to summarize the results of the most important sale of the year. According to the Admitad affiliate network estimates, this year MENA customers spent 40% more during White Friday compared to a “quiet” period. Customers were most active in buying clothes and footwear, electronics, household goods, toys and beauty products.

While searching for trends, Admitad analyzed over 153 million online orders of more than 2800 brands worldwide and over 5,6 million online orders in MENA.

The sale was successful but quiet

Online sales during White Friday hit records again this year, but it's clear that the pendulum of excitement around the sale is slowing down every year. According to Admitad, the global increase in sales during the week of White Friday compared to last year was only 8% in the number of sales and 9% in the sum of sales. The MENA market is in perfect sync with global dynamics.

At the same time, the importance of White Friday itself for MENA users is gradually decreasing. Last year, the jump in the number of sales compared to the "quiet period" amounted to 35%. This year, shoppers increased their activity by only 40% despite the overall active growth of Ecommerce sector YoY. It seems that their attention was diverted by the Single’s Day sale and Cyber Monday following the Friday.

Also, shoppers are more likely to say that White Friday discounts are not as tempting as they used to be. The constant stream of sales has taught customers to scrupulously study the offers from brands, check discounts for truthfulness, juggle with coupons and promo codes and not to give in to the first temptation, but to wait for a really profitable purchase.

What types of goods were in high demand?

Marketplaces, which accounted for more than 60% of purchases worldwide last year, only strengthened their dominance this year, with more than 67% of all online orders made from them during White Friday week. In MENA, they have the same level of dominance and attracted about 69% of purchases during the sale week.

These product categories, according to Admitad's calculations, attracted the largest share of sales:

  • Electronics - 24%
  • Fashion - 17,2%
  • Home & Garden - 13%
  • Toys & Hobbies - 7%
  • Beauty & Health - 6,7%
  • Tools - 6,5%
  • Automobiles, Parts & Accessories - 6,3%
  • Sports & Entertainment - 4,5%
  • Home Renovation - 4%
  • Others - 10,8%

If we compare these stats with the results of last year's sale, the orders of fashion, toys and home goods sagged significantly, while electronics and tools gained in popularity. There is also a new leader in the top - “Hope Renovation” category.

These major product categories showed the most significant growth compared to “quiet” period:

  • Tools +105%

  • Toys & Hobbies +65%

  • Electronics +59%

  • Sports & Entertainment +55%

  • Home & Garden +45%

  • Automobiles, Parts & Accessories +41%

Best sources of customers

The impact of cashback services on MENA customers' purchases remains very significant - shoppers applied cashback to more than 20% of their online purchases again this year. The possibility to get cashback from a purchase for many users becomes a determining factor when choosing a store or even a particular product.

Content platforms and online media ones again appeared to be one of the main sources of White Friday orders this year and attracted more than 19% of all orders. They are followed by contextual and targeted ads (17%), social media (12,5%), coupon services (9%), browsers (5%) and mobile apps (4%). 

Affiliate marketing has also shown its growing popularity, with 20% more brands building it into their marketing strategy than last year. Companies find it convenient to use a tool that allows them to cover all possible sources of traffic and pay only for results. The results of affiliate partners who attract orders for remuneration also improved this year - their profits jumped by 43% compared to earnings during a “quiet” period.

New Year sales are right around the corner. It is important for brands to consider the results of Single's Day and White Friday in preparation for them.

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