What an outsized Cyber Week abroad reveals about the European consumer

It’s all proof that European shoppers are searching for the best deals amid macroeconomic uncertainty. While Americans have been dealing with higher prices from tariffs, Europeans have been on the receiving end of higher inflation. Though rates in Europe have gradually improved, in November, consumer prices in the 20 countries that use the euro still rose 2.2% from a year before. Heading into December, Europeans were thus open to spending, “but were still looking to save money where they can,” said Caila Schwartz, director of consumer insights at Salesforce.

While inflation has eased a bit in Europe, “shoppers have felt in their pockets and their bills that pretty much everything is more expensive now,” said Andriana Bantra, a London-based senior insights consultant at Kantar. As a result, many consumers waited for Cyber Week “to buy the things they really wanted to buy,” she said. “We’re seeing a consumer who plans ahead, tracks prices, compares prices and converts when a deal reaches the threshold [they want].”

This growing interest in Cyber Week is generating wins for brands and retailers, too. In Europe, companies are betting on the occasion to increase their revenue, clear out excess inventory, and drive traffic to their stores and websites during a competitive season. For instance, Made In, a cookware brand based in the U.S., offered 20% off products at its U.K. domain during Cyber Week this year. Within the U.K., it saw triple-digit year-over-year growth, Michael Carmody, vp of performance marketing at the brand, told Modern Retail.

Thanks to widespread adoption of Cyber Week, it’s now easier than ever for consumers in Europe to take advantage of deals. But Cyber Week in Europe “is not just catching up” to Cyber Week in the U.S., Mirko Warschun, a Munich-based partner and managing director at Kearney, told Modern Retail. “It’s carving out its own identity as a standalone retail event,” he said.

Cyber Week goes global

It’s important to note that an international Cyber Week is not new, said Holly Worst, Adyen’s vp of retail and unified commerce, who is based in the Netherlands. This has been the case for years, Worst told Modern Retail, but now, “more brands are participating in the trend,” she said.

Salesforce’s Schwartz compared the worldwide adoption of Cyber Week to the global adoption of Singles’ Day, a shopping occasion that originated in China. Salesforce calculated that in Europe, specifically, Cyber Week sales grew 12% year over year, outpacing North America (5%) and APAC (3%).

One thing that’s trickled into Europe from the U.S.: the pressure to get deals done, and fast. A review of brand emails by Modern Retail found multiple deals in Europe for Cyber Week, many with messages like, “Drop everything: Cyber Monday starts now!” and “Your Black Friday exclusives: Act now!” Discounts included up to 50% off at Kipling in the U.K., 25% off everything at Anthropologie in France, and 25% off at Asics in Spain. Flash sales were also common; in the Netherlands, swimwear brand Cupshe offered a code for “buy one, get one” on Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Retailers and brands likely hoped these deals could sweeten sour consumer sentiment in Europe. A June BCG survey of 16,000 consumers in nine countries found that more than half (54%) were pessimistic about the economy of their home country. That was a 7% increase since July 2024. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, consumers still had “mixed feelings,” per McKinsey, “which translated into cautious spending intentions.”

While Cyber Week promotions could curry favor with price-cautious consumers, steep deals likely served another purpose, too, Kearney’s Warschun pointed out. Following in the footsteps of the U.S., the European Union plans to abolish the de minimis exemption for low-value parcels from China as early as next year. “This is now forcing retailers in Europe to cut prices even further and extend discount campaigns to clear excess inventory,” Warschun said.

Decoding the data

Kantar’s Bantra stressed that European customers are becoming “more value-driven, more selective and far more intentional in how they spend.” “I think we’re going to see that next year, as well,” she said.

During Cyber Week, European shoppers exhibited different shopping behaviors from American shoppers. For instance, Adyen found that Europeans’ use of mobile wallets was higher overall, that Europeans spent more online than in stores, and that Americans spent more in stores than online. But some habits are resonating worldwide; Kantar found that buy-now, pay-later was particularly hot globally, as was mobile checkout.

Shopping hours also looked different across markets. Many Americans get the day after Thanksgiving off, freeing up time to shop for deals on Black Friday. Europeans, though, are often at work that day and tend to make purchases when they come home. Adyen found that the busiest hour for Black Friday in the U.S. was 12 p.m. In Italy, it was 7 p.m., and in Germany, it was 9 p.m.

Use of digital wallets during Cyber Week also grew at different rates in Europe and the U.S., per Adyen. For instance, Adyen found that mobile wallet usage in the U.S. jumped from 31% in 2023 to 32% in 2024, then 42% in 2025. Globally, mobile wallet usage increased from 32% in 2023 to 37% in 2024, then 44% in 2025. In other words, more international shoppers are using mobile wallets to make payments, but adoption is growing at a faster clip in the U.S.

Overall, European consumers have become “far more comfortable” with online shopping and digital payment systems, said Kearney’s Warschun. This means that promotional events like Cyber Week “now have a much bigger impact than they did a few years ago,” he said.

Shoppers also bought different things during Cyber Week, depending on geography. Salesforce’s data found that furniture was the top-performing category abroad, particularly in Europe. Schwartz attributed this to rate cuts that happened in the spring. “When interest rates are lower, consumers are investing more, either in moving, buying homes or redecorating,” she said.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., activewear and apparel took the No. 1 slot for Cyber Week. “We see the consumer is investing in health and wellness and is looking to buy items that don’t typically go on sale,” Schwartz said.

One through line between Cyber Week in Europe and the U.S., however, was that the majority of shoppers remained price-conscious. In fact, more European shoppers used “sort-by-price” features during Cyber Week this year than last year, according to artificial intelligence platform Coveo. Use of the feature was up one-third year over year, “highlighting a shift toward closer price evaluation and more active deal assessment,” Andrea Polonioli, senior manager of commerce product marketing at Coveo, told Modern Retail.

Shoppers in both Europe and the U.S. also used AI agents to look for discounts and personalized shopping recommendations during Cyber Week, Salesforce found. “These tools are a way that the consumer can stretch their dollar and help them find deals,” Schwartz said.

Ultimately, Schwartz said, holiday data in the U.S. and Europe can be a good indicator of what’s to come in the new year. “It’s a moment of intense shopping for the consumer, and whether they know it or not, they’re picking up new behaviors,” she said. “So, the things we see happen, especially over Cyber Week, give us clues as to what’s going to happen in 2026.”