As retailers prepare for Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM), brand trust, ‘value beyond price’ and smart shopping will be the key trends shaping consumers’ shopping behaviours, according to the latest research from Sensormatic Solutions.

Original research of over 1,000 UK consumers by Sensormatic in its latest report showed that dupe culture and growing consumer concern around product authenticity will drive more shoppers in-store this Black Friday.

Counterfeits get cancelled

Dupe culture, where consumers choose affordable replicas of branded products, continues to accelerate online. Business of Fashion data shows 53% of consumers now buy lookalike alternatives, while eMarketer points to Gen Z as the driving force, with 71% opting for cheaper copycats over genuine branded goods.

However, rising dupe culture has also increased authenticity concerns – two in five consumers will switch brands if they question whether a product’s genuine. This concern was mirrored across consumers’ Black Friday purchasing plans, with Sensormatic’s study showing customers intend to head in-store to avoid online dupes.

A fifth (17%) plan to shop in-store over online to ensure product authenticity, while a quarter (25%) trust items bought in-store to be genuine, certified goods. 42% of Millennials will head to physical stores during Peak Trading to ensure product authenticity and avoid online fakes.

“Consumers have always valued the store for purchase validation, wanting to see, touch and physically assess items to ensure their quality and suitability before buying,” said Andy Sumpter, Sensormatic Solutions’ EMEA Retail Consultant. “We’re now seeing an extension of this, where dupe culture and question marks around authenticity online are making physical retail the cornerstone for brand authentication and trust.”

Value beyond price

While consumers remain price-sensitive – with pricing continuing to be a top consideration for Black Friday purchases – their perception of price and value has become more nuanced.

Sensormatic’s poll showed that, while price remains the top consideration for Peak Trading purchases for a third year in a row, the proportion of shoppers rating cost alone has fallen.

This year, two thirds (66%) say price is the most important factor influencing BFCM and Peak Trading purchases, however this is down -11 percentage points year-on-year. Product quality was ranked second for 49%, indicating that good ‘value for money’ as well as cost is a growing consideration, followed by ranging (38%) and stock availability (37%).

“Even though price remains the top factor, inflation-weary consumers have become used to everything being ‘expensive’, which is why many are redefining their perceptions of value beyond cost.”

Andy Sumpter, EMEA Retail Consultant, Sensormatic

“This reassessment means additional factors, such as quality, choice and stock assurance, are becoming table stakes in Black Friday purchasing decisions,” Sumpter added.

Shoppers make smarter moves on Black Friday buys

Shoppers are also expected to exhibit ‘savvier’ shopping behaviours across BFCM this year.

Two fifths (37%) plan to use cashback or discount code sites, rising to nearly half (47%) of Millennials, as consumers hunt out extra deals and money-off codes on top of existing discounts. A quarter of shoppers (26%) will look to retailers’ re-sale platforms for Peak Trading bargains, rising to 38% of Millennials.

Meanwhile, 73% will take more time searching out deals, up +4 percentage points compared to 2024, with bargain hunting strongest among Millennials (79%) and Gen Z (74%).

“Shoppers won’t just take Black Friday deals at face value,” Sumpter commented. “Motivated by getting the best value for money, they’ll be scanning every channel, testing every discount format and weighing every payment option to make their disposable spending budgets work hardest.”