Perspectives
Executive summary: Black Friday is usually treated as a motivation moment: enough value plus intense urgency equals a sale. But a shopper can want a product and still not buy because they can't assess its value with confidence, feel sure of their choice, or act easily in the moment. Alan Moskowitz of C Space and Yoshi Johnson of Hall & Partners explore how brands can identify which barrier is holding back conversion. Their takeaway: diagnose before you discount.
Why isn't a Black Friday discount always enough to convert shoppers?
Because wanting a product isn't the same as buying it. A discount can give shoppers who have been researching on the sidelines permission to finally act. But with many shoppers cautious about spending amid end-of-year economic pressures, leaning harder on “a deal” is far from a sure thing.
Colleen Gregg's recent piece makes the case that seasonal moments build equity, not just sales. This piece takes that thinking a step further, making it more operational: is a given conversion gap a value problem, a confidence problem or a friction problem — and which fix is most likely to address it?
Does this feel worth it? Why perceived value goes beyond price
For many shoppers, worth now goes well beyond price. In a culture wrestling with clutter, disposable quality, financial pressure and the emotional aftertaste of impulse buying, a discount can feel like either permission or temptation. Brands need to understand which one it is.
“Worth” is still treated primarily as financial, but today's consumers, especially younger ones, often weigh durability, usefulness, emotional meaning, resale potential and freedom from later regret. According to PwC's Holiday Outlook 2026, 64% of consumers are drawn to nostalgic, screen-free gifts this year, rising to 78% among Gen Z.
The question shoppers – especially in their 20’s and 30’s - increasingly bring to Black Friday is not simply, ‘Can I get more for less?’ It’s, ‘Is this one of the things I actually want to bring into my life?' There’s a consideration of the obligation to things.
Vice President, C Space
YETI: Signaling worth without the discount. The outdoor brand does minimal discounting, with its products emphasizing quality, durability and long-lasting performance. Perhaps most importantly, they are associated with meaningful experiences. YETI communicates its worth beyond price alone.
New Balance: Building worth into the product. Even as closets overflow with shoes, New Balance’s lifestyle sneakers, with substantial materials and construction, check all the boxes: comfort, durability, all-day usefulness, emotional connection to experiences and even resale potential. The product itself helps communicate its value, reducing the need to rely on discounts alone.
How can brands help shoppers make a confident choice on Black Friday?
By helping them choose without fear of getting it wrong. Black Friday floods people with competing offers and claims, and AI agents are increasingly becoming always-on advisors that shoppers lean on to compare and judge value. PwC found that 29% of consumers plan to use AI in their holiday shopping this year, up from 22% last year. Alan explores this shift from impulse to influence in his recent Hall & Partners interview. As AI makes it easier to compare competing claims, clear, verifiable value becomes more important, while vague promises are harder to substantiate.
Even with AI-inspired confidence, people have emotional needs for reassurance: distrust of holiday urgency, fear of waste, concern about buying something disposable, and a desire for familiar signals such as nostalgia cues.
Vice President, C Space
Zalando: Showing it understands shopper doubt. Zalando, which describes itself as Europe's leading online fashion and style platform, focuses on confident choice and uses humor to play on shoppers' ever-present lack of confidence. Its approach spans practical tools, such as personalized sizing, and content that acknowledges the emotional side of style decisions. Examples include Instagram “get ready with you” clips and its AW26 Inner Voices campaign with Lily Collins, in which fashion designers and commentators voice the inner thoughts of actresses and models. Together, these show how Zalando addresses both the practical and emotional sides of shopper confidence.
Can shoppers act easily right now? Removing friction at the moment of purchase
Not always, and strong intent can degrade quickly. Unclear stock, clumsy comparison, cumbersome checkout and vague delivery windows can all stall a purchase. Transactional friction can also bump into emotional friction: financial pressure, guilt, promotional fatigue and second-guessing whether a gift is “right” for someone.
Target: Removing the burden of timing the price. Endless promotions can postpone purchases because shoppers fear today isn't the best day to buy. As it did in 2025, Target is again offering its Holiday Price Match Guarantee this year. Starting November 1, 2026, shoppers who purchase an item in store or online can request a price adjustment if its price drops at Target on or before December 24. Proof of purchase is required. Knowing they can benefit if the price drops later may reduce the pressure to wait for a better deal, making it easier to buy now.
It's removing the burden of needing to time the right price and making it simple to just buy.
Senior Insights Director, Hall & Partners
Ninja CREAMi: Where all three keys converge. With many young people treating cooking as a craft while staying aware of the cost of premium foods, the CREAMi promises premium ice cream at the touch of a button in a compact, stylish countertop appliance. Ninja is also well known for its customer service and money-back guarantees. Together, the product’s proposition of a “home crafted” and elevated treat, convenient design and customer reassurance address worth, confidence and ease at once.
How can brands diagnose what's holding back Black Friday conversion?
Brands can identify the barrier most responsible for non-conversion before reaching for a deeper discount, then address it with the right targeted strategy, whether that involves pricing or something else. That diagnosis is where Hall & Partners can help.
Brands waste resources when they solve the wrong problem. Discounts won't clarify an offer, education won't fix checkout, and faster delivery won't create value. Diagnose the barrier first, and then fix it.
Senior Insights Director, Hall & Partners
Diagnosing Black Friday conversion barriers
Frameworks such as COM-B can help separate whether capability, opportunity or motivation is the binding constraint. A discount speaks mainly to motivation, so when the barrier lies elsewhere, a different fix is likely to work better. This connects naturally to Hall & Partners' and Escalent's behavioral science work, including our BeSci x AI capability.
Key takeaways
- Black Friday is often treated as a motivation moment, but wanting a product doesn't always mean buying it
- Shoppers increasingly judge worth by durability, usefulness, emotional meaning and freedom from regret, not price alone
- Confident choice depends on clear, verifiable value and emotional reassurance
- Transactional and emotional friction can stall even strong intent
- Diagnosing the barrier helps brands choose a fix more likely to work, pricing or otherwise
Diagnose before you discount
Discounts still have a role on Black Friday, but they speak to only part of the decision. The brands best placed this season are likely to be those that understand whether their shoppers are held back by value, confidence or friction, and address it before the promotional window opens.
At Hall & Partners, we help brands understand what turns intention into action, combining brand tracking, C Space's cultural lens and behavioral science to identify the barriers holding back conversion. Get in touch to find out what's holding back your brand's conversion.
Meet our authors
Yoshi Johnson, Senior Insights Director, Hall & Partners
Alan Moskowitz, Vice President, C Space
Talk to our team of experts
Learn how we can deliver actionable insights and creativity to drive brand growth.
Key Questions
Brands can identify what's holding shoppers back and address that barrier directly. Communicating product quality and usefulness can strengthen perceived value, clear and verifiable claims can build confidence, and simpler checkout, clearer stock information, and reliable delivery details can reduce friction.
Consumer behavior helps explain why shoppers who intend to buy may not complete a purchase. Factors such as perceived value, confidence, financial pressure, promotional fatigue, and ease of purchase can all influence the decision. Understanding these factors helps brands choose more effective responses than relying on discounts alone.
