New Yorkers looking to catch big deals on Black Friday may be finding even bigger crowds this year, according to city figures released Wednesday.
The analysis published by the city’s Economic Development Corporation found that city visitors flocked to hubs like Bryant Park, Times Square and SoHo on Black Friday in record numbers last year – with 1 million alone visiting the shopping hubs — and are expected to return in droves in 2025.
New Yorkers looking to catch big deals on Black Friday may be finding even bigger crowds, according to city figures released Wednesday. Bloomberg via Getty Images
New York locals, meanwhile, took their business to growing retail districts in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, with multiple major retail corridors seeing double-digit jumps in shopper counts between 2023 and 2024.
“From lively holiday markets to iconic department stores, New York City’s holiday festivities add hundreds of millions of dollars to our economy and draw visitors from across the entire country and from around the globe,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.
“Whether it’s opening up more streets for pedestrians through our city’s Holiday Streets program, keeping New Yorkers safe during major holiday events, or supporting small businesses across all five boroughs, our administration has helped grow our city’s holiday economy year after year.”
The Big Apple ushered in a whopping 64.3 million visitors in 2024, marking the second-highest tourist count in city history. Bloomberg via Getty Images
A string of Big Apple tourist destinations showed “impressive growth” from 2023 to 2024, per the report, with Times Square welcoming 48,000 more visitors on an average weekend in December last year compared to the same period in 2023.
In the same time period, Fifth Avenue saw 27,000 more weekend visitors on average.
Compared to “typical” weekends in 2024, Bryant Park was 2.6 times busier, Fifth Avenue was 2.3 times busier, and Times Square was 1.5 times busier than average.
Compared to “typical” weekends in 2024, Bryant Park was 2.6 times busier than average in December. Matthew McDermott
Perhaps unsurprisingly, two-thirds of Times Square visitors on Black Friday hailed from outside the five boroughs, and roughly half came from outside the metro area, the report reads.
Outside Manhattan, Jamaica and Flushing in Queens reported a total 170,000 visitors on Black Friday 2024, an increase of more than 11,000 from the year before.
Both the Bronx’s Fordham Road and Metrotech in Brooklyn saw year-over-year growth of 11% on Black Friday from 2023 to 2024.
The Bronx’s Fordham Road (above) and Metrotech in Brooklyn saw year-over-year growth of 11% on Black Friday from 2023 to 2024. Corbis via Getty Images
The Big Apple ushered in a whopping 64.3 million visitors in 2024, marking the second-highest tourist count in city history — though it remains to be seen if the city will exceed that figure in 2025 amid international travelers’ economic fears.
Some 2 million fewer visitors from other countries are expected to visit New York City this year, which could result in a $4 billion in loss in foreign tourism dollars for 2025, according to industry experts.
On average, Black Friday alone injects a $500 million economic boost into the city’s economy, a City Hall rep said.
“Nothing compares to the holiday season in New York City, and the economic energy this time of year is something we can all celebrate throughout all five boroughs,” EDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball said.
“This year, we are thrilled to welcome the millions of visitors whose spending will generate a significant economic impact and uplift the local businesses that keep our neighborhoods and communities thriving, from Bryant Park to Flushing to Fordham and beyond.”