CPG Matters Features AdAdapted CRO Molly McFarland on Blackout Friday’s Impact
Article excerpt:
On the last Friday in February, grocery planning went quiet.
Shopping habits tend to follow predictable rhythms – week in and week out, people add items to their lists in preparation for store runs. But on February 28, something unusual happened. Activity dipped significantly, 15% less than the average Friday.
Fewer lists. Fewer items. Less planning. This was Blackout Friday.
Seeing the Blackout Before It Happens
Blackout Friday was a grassroots social media movement — a call to press pause on all spending for 24 hours in protest of shifting social and economic policies. The idea spread fast, mostly through platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Consumers were encouraged to stay home, avoid shopping and make a statement with their wallets.
And they did.
Industry headlines surfaced days later, once retailers and analysts had time to compile their sales data and compare it to historical trends. But signs of the shift were evident much earlier.
As early as the Monday before Blackout Friday, my team at AdAdapted noticed a slowdown in list-making. Shoppers were preparing in advance for the protest. Some added their groceries to lists earlier in the week. Others delayed. And when Friday hit, list making was significantly quieter.
The Power of Pre-Shop Intent
Before a product ever hits a cart, virtual or physical, there’s a moment when a shopper makes a decision. “Do I need this? Should I buy it now? Will I wait?” We see that moment. And we see it across millions of lists every day.
For CPG brands, this window into intent is everything. While it’s tempting to focus on point-of-sale data, that’s just the end of the story. The real opportunity is influencing the decision before it’s made — when a product gets added to a list. And shoppers are making those decisions far earlier than many brands realize.
Our data shows people typically plan their grocery lists five to seven days in advance. For major events like Super Bowl Sunday, Thanksgiving or a social media-fueled boycott like Blackout Friday, that window is critical. If your brand isn’t part of the consideration set during the planning phase, you’re likely missing the sale entirely.
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