Search interest in "black friday" reached 9 in the week of October 31, 2026, the highest weekly reading in the August 1 to October 31 series, with 13 days left before Black Friday on Friday, November 27. As of November 14, the latest point is the week of October 31, about two weeks behind the calendar, so the November climb has not shown up in the data yet. In 2025 the same index sat at 10 in the first week of November and reached 89 by the final week. Google Ads Keyword Planner puts monthly searches for the term at 3.35 million, with low competition.
The ramp so far: 9 in the last week of October
The October readings climbed from 3 to 9 across five weeks. The final week added 4 of the 6 points gained across October.
The weeks of October 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 read 3, 3, 4, 5 and 9. The final week rose from 5 to 9, an 80 percent jump in a single week. Before that, the index had sat between 2 and 4 from the start of August through October 17, then read 5 on October 24.
On this index, 100 marks the busiest week in the series, the week of November 27, 2021, so a reading of 9 sits at 9 percent of that peak. October's wider trending picture is in the October 2026 trends recap.
What the last five Novembers looked like
Every November peak since 2021 has landed in the final week of the month, and the last four fell between 83 and 91.
- 2021, week of Nov 27: 100
- 2022, week of Nov 26: 83
- 2023, week of Nov 25: 91
- 2024, week of Nov 30: 89
- 2025, week of Nov 29: 89
Only 2021 touched 100. The four peaks since then sit in a narrow band, 83 to 91.
The 2025 ramp shows how late the move comes. The weekly readings for the five November weeks were 10, 19, 29, 46 and 89. From the week of November 15 to the week of November 29, the index gained 60 of the 79 points it gained across the whole month, about three quarters of the climb in the final two weeks. HyperAware's earlier Black Friday attention report covers the same series.
Why the November climb is still invisible in the data
The latest point in the series is the week of October 31, 2026. As of November 14, the series ends there, so nothing in it yet reflects November demand.
A reading of 9 in late October says nothing about where the 2026 peak will land, and no forecast follows from it.
Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States and traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season, according to Wikipedia. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026, which puts Black Friday on Friday, November 27, as listed by timeanddate.com.
What to watch in the next two weeks
October 2026 ended at 9, one point below the 10 that opened November 2025.
The 2025 shape sets the test: a first November week near 10, then a steep rise in the final two weeks before November 27. In 2025 the first November week read 10. If the 2026 series follows the same shape, most of the climb still lies ahead.
