UK retail newsletters · figures to 13 November
Black Friday 2026, as it lands in UK inboxes
We read the newsletters UK brands send their subscribers, every day. Here is how the Black Friday run-up is going: who has started, how early, and how deep the discounts go.
of UK brands have mentioned Black Friday so far.
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K-Beauty BLACK FRIDAY 🖤This week in Black Friday
- 16% of UK brands have mentioned Black Friday in a newsletter, up from 8% a week ago.
- Baby & Toddler is furthest ahead at 34%; Charity & Non-Profit is furthest behind at 1%.
- The typical Black Friday headline is 40% off, and 45% of emails say “up to”.
- The emoji of the season so far is 🖤, in 7% of Black Friday subject lines.
The season’s records so far
Updated every hour. Each one is a real email.
Earliest start
9 OctBannerBuzz started 49 days before the day
“⏰ 24 Hours Left: 25% OFF Everything 📢”
Deepest discount
90%Light in the Box up to 90% off
“Flash Sale: Up to 90% OFF Ends Soon.”
Busiest this week
12BloomChic sent 12 Black Friday emails in seven days
Latest: “Time for a Top Refresh ✨”
Still holding out
140Goggles4u has sent 140 newsletters this season without a word about Black Friday
Clothing Accessories
Who has started
Share of UK brands in each sector that have mentioned Black Friday, and Christmas, in at least one newsletter this season. Pick a sector to see its own page.
| Sector | Black Friday | Christmas |
|---|---|---|
| Baby & Toddler+7 pts on last week | ||
| Home & Living+12 pts on last week | ||
| Toys & Games+15 pts on last week | ||
| Building & Trade Supplies+15 pts on last week | ||
| Electronics+8 pts on last week | ||
| Health & Beauty+13 pts on last week | ||
| Sports+11 pts on last week | ||
| Clothing Accessories+11 pts on last week | ||
| Vehicles & Parts+7 pts on last week | ||
| Animals & Pet Supplies+9 pts on last week | ||
| Hobbies & Crafts+9 pts on last week | ||
| Retail & Marketplaces+6 pts on last week | ||
| Clothing+10 pts on last week | ||
| Travel & Hospitality+8 pts on last week | ||
| Smoking & Vaping+7 pts on last week | ||
| Media+5 pts on last week | ||
| Manufacturing & Industrial+4 pts on last week | ||
| Beverages+5 pts on last week | ||
| Gifts, Cards & Lifestyle+5 pts on last week | ||
| Business Services+2 pts on last week | ||
| Food+5 pts on last week | ||
| Dining & Food Services+1 pts on last week | ||
| Entertainment+1 pts on last week | ||
| Leisure Attractions+2 pts on last week | ||
| Software & Internet+1 pts on last week | ||
| Charity & Non-Profit |
Leisure Attractions is the clearest split: 3% have mentioned Black Friday, but 65% are already emailing about Christmas.
How the run-up is building
Week by week since the start of October, across the UK. A lighter column is a week that isn’t over yet.
See the figures
| Week of | Brands started | Emails mentioning it |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep | 0% | 0% |
| 5 Oct | under 1% | under 1% |
| 12 Oct | under 1% | under 1% |
| 19 Oct | 1% | 1% |
| 26 Oct | 4% | 4% |
| 2 Nov | 10% | 12% |
| 9 Nov (so far) | 16% | 18% |
How deep the discounts go
The biggest percentage off named in each Black Friday email.
The typical headline discount: half of Black Friday emails lead with more, half with less.
- Under 20%9%
- 20 to 29%20%
- 30 to 39%17%
- 40 to 49%11%
- 50% or more43%
- 45% say “up to”, so the headline figure is the best case, not the usual one
- 25% carry a discount code
- 39% offer free delivery
| Sector | Typical headline | Say “up to” | 50% or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Services | 60% | 74% | 77% |
| Building & Trade Supplies | 50% | 46% | 55% |
| Clothing | 50% | 47% | 50% |
| Clothing Accessories | 50% | 51% | 61% |
| Hobbies & Crafts | 50% | 51% | 74% |
| Sports | 50% | 44% | 56% |
| Retail & Marketplaces | 50% | 58% | 50% |
| Media | 45% | 19% | 46% |
| Baby & Toddler | 40% | 52% | 30% |
| Home & Living | 40% | 46% | 43% |
| Vehicles & Parts | 40% | 50% | 35% |
| Electronics | 36% | 42% | 22% |
| Beverages | 32% | 42% | 36% |
| Animals & Pet Supplies | 30% | 43% | 18% |
| Health & Beauty | 30% | 41% | 28% |
| Travel & Hospitality | 30% | 52% | 13% |
| Toys & Games | 15% | 12% | 2% |
What the subject lines say
Share of Black Friday emails whose subject line uses each word or phrase, and the emoji they reach for.
- “Early”
- “VIP”, “early access” or “members”
- “Ends”, “last chance” or “final hours”
- “Extended”
- 7%of subject lines use 🖤
- 4%of subject lines use 👀
- 3%of subject lines use 🔥
- 3%of subject lines use ✨
- 3%of subject lines use 🚨
Using these figures
Share the infographic
One picture with this week’s figures: the share that have started, who is ahead, the typical discount and the emoji of the season. It is redrawn every hour, so it always matches this page.
Download the infographic (PNG)
Embed it in an article
<a href="https://pulsedaq.com/insights/black-friday-2026"><img src="https://pulsedaq.com/insights/black-friday-2026/infographic.png?market=uk" alt="16% of UK brands have mentioned Black Friday in a newsletter, up from 8% a week ago. Source: PulseDAQ" width="540" height="675"></a>
The picture links back to this page, so readers can see the latest figures.
Cite them
PulseDAQ, “Black Friday 2026 in UK retail newsletters”, figures to 13 November 2026, https://pulsedaq.com/insights/black-friday-2026/week/2026-11-09
The link is this week’s dated copy, so it keeps showing the figures you quoted.
Embed the live chart
<iframe src="https://pulsedaq.com/insights/black-friday-2026/embed/sectors?market=uk" title="Black Friday 2026 in UK retail newsletters" width="100%" height="640" style="border:0"></iframe>
It updates itself every hour and links back here.
Writing about it?
We can send you the figures for a sector or market, or talk you through how we count. Get in touch.
Earlier weeks: 2 Nov
How we count
A brand counts as having mentioned Black Friday once one of its newsletters names it, in the subject line or the email itself. Shares are of UK brands that have sent us a newsletter since the start of October, and only sectors where we follow enough brands to say are shown. Discounts use the largest percentage off named in each email. The emails shown are real newsletters, as subscribers received them. The figures are worked out from every newsletter we receive, not a survey, and this page updates every hour until Christmas.
Last updated 13 November 2026, 22:10.