Beyond Discounts: Power Digital Report Reveals the Consumer Shifts Reshaping BFCM and Long-Term Brand Equity

New research reveals the consumer reset: where demand actually starts, which platforms matter by generation, and warns brands that aggressive markdowns risk eroding long-term loyalty and enterprise value.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Power Digital, a leading tech-enabled growth marketing firm, today released new findings from its 2025 Black Friday–Cyber Monday (BFCM) study, revealing that discounting alone is no longer the sole lever driving consumer behavior. Based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. shoppers, the report points to mounting “discount fatigue,” a $6B Gen Z opportunity, and growing reputational risk for brands that treat BFCM as a short-term revenue sprint rather than a long-term loyalty play.

Key findings from the study include:

• One discount no longer fits all. 45.9% of consumers still prefer percentage-off deals, but nearly as many want bundles, loyalty perks, or dollar-off offers. Discounts still drive demand, but relying on one tactic risks leaving revenue and loyalty on the table.
• Gen Z is rewriting the playbook: An estimated 20 million Gen Z consumers are expected to spend over $6B this BFCM, but this generation shops on its own terms. One in four uses TikTok as their default search engine, and nearly two-thirds say creator partnerships increase purchase likelihood, underscoring the need for social-first, creator-led acquisition strategies.
• Trust is the real currency of BFCM: 20.7% of shoppers have stopped buying from a brand over misleading offers, and 19% said BFCM permanently changed their perception of a brand. Heavy discounts can backfire, with 10.6% abandoning brands they felt were cheapened by aggressive markdowns.
• Luxury and premium brands face a balancing act: While 34.8% of consumers say 15–20% off feels “perfect,” 35.9% avoid luxury brands that don’t show value compared to cheaper alternatives, and 11.7% say deep discounts make brands feel “cheap.”

“The real Black Friday-Cyber Monday metric isn’t how deep your discounts go…it’s how much trust you build,” said Dani Powell, VP Client Experience at Power Digital. “Our data makes it clear: when trust erodes, so does customer lifetime value. Shoppers want to feel like they’re getting real value, not gimmicks, and they remember when brands fall short. The brands that treat BFCM as more than a weekend sales event and see it as a chance to strengthen their relationships with customers are the ones that win. The brands that do this well are the ones that will see that loyalty and revenue compound well beyond the holiday season.”

The report urges executives to shift their perspective on BFCM from a short-lived revenue spike to a strategic lever for building enterprise value. Key recommendations include:

• Calibrate discount depth by category to balance short-term sales with long-term brand equity
• Prioritize discovery where it actually happens…on TikTok, through creators, and via email
• Treat BFCM as a brand-building moment to strengthen trust and loyalty beyond the holiday weekend
• Measure retention and lifetime value (LTV) as the true benchmarks of success, not just Q4 revenue spikes

The full BFCM Reset Report is available from Power Digital here.

About Power Digital Marketing

Power Digital is a tech-enabled growth firm at the intersection of marketing, consulting & data intelligence, igniting revenue and brand recognition for leading and emerging companies around the world. At the heart of Power Digital is proprietary technology, nova, which analyzes businesses through first-party data, simplifying investment planning for marketing and diligence in M&A, putting marketers in a strategic seat at the table, and providing value in unparalleled ways. Managing billions in media, Power Digital’s dynamic team of consultative marketers, creatives, analysts and technologists challenge traditional ways of planning, execution and measurement through meticulous testing and data science across each milestone of the customer journey. Discover more at www.PowerDigitalMarketing.com.