US retail newsletters · figures to 14 November
Black Friday 2026, as it lands in US inboxes
We read the newsletters US 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 US brands have mentioned Black Friday so far.
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Plenty of sale left, but not much of these products! ⏰This week in Black Friday
- 17% of US brands have mentioned Black Friday in a newsletter, up from 9% a week ago.
- Vehicles & Parts is furthest ahead at 36%; Dining & Food Services is furthest behind at 0%.
- The typical Black Friday headline is 40% off, and 35% of emails say “up to”.
- The emoji of the season so far is 🖤, in 4% of Black Friday subject lines.
The season’s records so far
Updated every hour. Each one is a real email.
Earliest start
9 OctRetrospec started 49 days before the day
“New Products Now Up To 50% Off!”
Deepest discount
80%Rastaclat up to 80% off
“BLACK FRIDAY SALE: UP TO 80% OFF SITEWIDE”
Busiest this week
14Sur La Table sent 14 Black Friday emails in seven days
Latest: “December classes are filling up; book today!”
Still holding out
138Gilt has sent 138 newsletters this season without a word about Black Friday
Clothing
Who has started
Share of US 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles & Parts+19 pts on last week | ||
| Baby & Toddler+11 pts on last week | ||
| Sports+16 pts on last week | ||
| Home & Living+12 pts on last week | ||
| Electronics+13 pts on last week | ||
| Building & Trade Supplies+14 pts on last week | ||
| Manufacturing & Industrial+9 pts on last week | ||
| Health & Beauty+9 pts on last week | ||
| Clothing Accessories+9 pts on last week | ||
| Retail & Marketplaces+7 pts on last week | ||
| Clothing+10 pts on last week | ||
| Hobbies & Crafts+5 pts on last week | ||
| Business Services+4 pts on last week | ||
| Animals & Pet Supplies+9 pts on last week | ||
| Entertainment+3 pts on last week | ||
| Software & Internet+3 pts on last week | ||
| Media+3 pts on last week | ||
| Beverages+4 pts on last week | ||
| Gifts, Cards & Lifestyle+5 pts on last week | ||
| Travel & Hospitality+4 pts on last week | ||
| Food+3 pts on last week | ||
| Dining & Food Services |
Gifts, Cards & Lifestyle is the clearest split: 7% have mentioned Black Friday, but 47% are already emailing about Christmas.
How the run-up is building
Week by week since the start of October, across the US. 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 | 0% | under 1% |
| 12 Oct | under 1% | under 1% |
| 19 Oct | 1% | under 1% |
| 26 Oct | 3% | 5% |
| 2 Nov | 10% | 10% |
| 9 Nov (so far) | 17% | 15% |
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%11%
- 20 to 29%18%
- 30 to 39%21%
- 40 to 49%11%
- 50% or more39%
- 35% say “up to”, so the headline figure is the best case, not the usual one
- 28% carry a discount code
- 38% offer free delivery
| Sector | Typical headline | Say “up to” | 50% or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail & Marketplaces | 59% | 34% | 57% |
| Clothing | 40% | 37% | 44% |
| Hobbies & Crafts | 40% | 28% | 42% |
| Home & Living | 40% | 54% | 39% |
| Sports | 40% | 27% | 48% |
| Clothing Accessories | 35% | 47% | 30% |
| Health & Beauty | 35% | 26% | 32% |
| Baby & Toddler | 30% | 26% | 14% |
| Beverages | 30% | 11% | 34% |
| Electronics | 25% | 44% | 37% |
| Vehicles & Parts | 25% | 28% | 24% |
| Manufacturing & Industrial | 20% | 21% | 26% |
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”
- 4%of subject lines use 🖤
- 3%of subject lines use 👀
- 3%of subject lines use 🔥
- 3%of subject lines use 🚨
- 2%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/us"><img src="https://pulsedaq.com/insights/black-friday-2026/infographic.png?market=us" alt="17% of US brands have mentioned Black Friday in a newsletter, up from 9% 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 US retail newsletters”, figures to 14 November 2026, https://pulsedaq.com/insights/black-friday-2026/us/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=us" title="Black Friday 2026 in US 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 US 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 14 November 2026, 00:10.