Markets
Infographic: The Numbers Behind Black Friday
For American retailers, Christmas comes a month earlier.
Starting in late-November, the holiday shopping season officially kicks into high gear – and it’s the beginning of a month-long stretch that can either make or break retailers.
Black Friday is the shotgun start for this mad scramble of consumerism. And whether you are waiting in line to get a Turbo-Man doll, or you are constantly refreshing your browser window for the latest deal on Amazon, it’s a spectacle all the same.
Black Friday Numbers
Today’s infographic comes to us from AppInstitute, and it breaks down the numbers behind Black Friday, the centerpiece of the shopping extravaganza for retailers in the United States.
In totality, the holiday season generated $688 billion of revenue for retailers in the United States in 2017 – and $108.2 billion of this came from online purchases, which are seeing double-digit growth each year.
Impressively, about 15% of all online holiday revenue comes in the four-day span between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The two days (Black Friday, Cyber Monday) are the two highest volume online shopping days of the year.
Source: Adobe
Online or Offline
Do shoppers take advantage of deals at home or in store?
It appears to be a mix of both, according to comprehensive data from Adobe for the 2017 shopping season:
- 16% shopped entirely in stores
- 29% shopped mostly in stores, and a little online
- 26% shopped equally in stores and online
- 20% shopped mostly online, and a little in stores
- 9% shopped entirely online
This means for most people, shopping is an omni-channel experience – they are comparing options in their heads between online (desktop, mobile) and offline channels.
An Even Bigger Day For Online Sales
While Black Friday is an impressive kickoff day for online and offline sales, there is an even bigger one-day online equivalent in China.
On Black Friday, online sales total about $5 billion – this is just a drop in the bucket compared to Alibaba’s Single’s Day, which sold $30.8 billion in a 24-hour period on November 11, 2018.
On Single’s Day in 2018, it took fewer than 90 seconds to hit $1 billion in online sales.
Mining
An Investor’s Guide to Copper in 3 Charts
Explore three key insights into the future of the copper market, from soaring demand to potential supply constraints.

An Investor’s Guide to Copper
Copper is the world’s third-most utilized industrial metal and the linchpin of many clean energy technologies. It forms the vital connections in our electricity networks, grid storage systems, and electric vehicles.
In this graphic, sponsored by iShares, we dig into the forces that are set to shape the future of the copper landscape.
How Much Copper Do We Need?
Copper is poised to experience a remarkable 54% surge in demand from 2022 to 2050.
Here’s a breakdown of the expected demand for copper across clean energy technologies.
Technology | 2022 (kt) | 2050P (kt) |
---|---|---|
Electricity networks | 4364 | 8862 |
Other low emissions power generation | 93.7 | 142.2 |
Solar PV | 756.8 | 1879.8 |
Grid battery storage | 24.6 | 665.2 |
Wind | 453.5 | 1303.3 |
Hydrogen technologies | - | 0.22 |
Electric vehicles | 370 | 3582.9 |
Other uses | 19766 | 22382 |
Copper is vital in renewable energy systems such as wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicle batteries because of its high electrical conductivity and durability.
It ensures the effective transmission of electricity and heat, enhancing the overall performance and sustainability of these technologies.
The rising demand for copper in the clean energy sector underscores its critical role in the transition to a greener and more sustainable future.
When Will Copper Demand Exceed Supply?
The burgeoning demand for copper has set the stage for looming supply challenges with a 22% gap predicted by 2031.
Given this metal’s pivotal role in clean energy and technological advancements, innovative mining and processing technologies could hold the key to boosting copper production and meeting the needs of a net-zero future.
Investing in Copper for a Prosperous Future
Investors looking for copper exposure may want to consider an ETF that tracks an index that offers access to companies focused on the exploration and mining of copper.

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