Black Friday is becoming a fixture in B2B purchasing, and distributors are stepping up their participation with confirmed promotions aimed squarely at business buyers.
According to the 2025 DHL eCommerce Trends Report — which surveyed 4,050 businesses across 19 countries and 24,000 shoppers in 24 markets — 85% of B2B sellers plan to participate in Black Friday this year, slightly above the rate for online retailers overall. Businesses also reported solid results from last year’s event: 63% said their Black Friday sales increased in 2024, and half generated more revenue than during typical selling periods.
That momentum is now visible across the distribution sector, where several firms have launched verifiable Black Friday campaigns.
Global Industrial is among the most direct participants. The distributor is running a prominent “Black Friday deals are here” campaign on its ecommerce site, advertising up to 30% off select categories, including shelving, storage, material handling equipment, and facility supplies. The promotions are positioned as part of a broader seasonal push and include dedicated Black Friday landing pages.
MSC Industrial Supply Launches Black Friday in the UK
MSC Industrial Supply’s UK division also began its Black Friday campaign early. The company announced on its social channels that “Black Friday at MSC is officially live,” directing customers to exclusive offers and formally posting Black Friday terms and conditions on its website. The structure of the campaign — including defined timelines and rules — indicates a coordinated seasonal initiative tied to MSC’s industrial assortment.
Grainger, Fastenal, and Uline Promotions Surface Through Deal Platforms
While not all distributors are promoting Black Friday directly on their homepages, several are participating through widely circulated coupon and deal platforms:
- Grainger: Multiple platforms list Black Friday–labeled promo codes for November 2025, including percentage-off discounts tied to Cyber Week expiration dates.
- Fastenal: Deal sites are running “Fastenal Black Friday Promo Code” collections with dozens of active offers set to expire during the holiday window.
- Uline: Several coupon sites maintain Black Friday pages for Uline, noting seasonal discounts — typically ranging from 10% to 30% on packaging and warehouse supplies.
- While these promotions appear through third-party channels rather than via dedicated brand campaigns, the activity indicates that major MRO and packaging distributors are participating in holiday discounting to capture business demand.
Trust and Fulfillment Still Shape Buyer Decisions
DHL’s report also underscores the pressures distributors face during peak season. Retailers remain more confident in their promotions than buyers are: 69% believe customers trust their offers, but only half of shoppers say they mostly or fully trust Black Friday pricing. Younger buyers express more trust and a higher likelihood of increasing spending than older cohorts — a trend that could influence B2B purchasing as digital-native professionals take on procurement roles.
Fulfillment continues to be a decisive factor. More than 80% of Black Friday shoppers say they will abandon a cart if their preferred delivery option is unavailable. Free shipping, clear returns, and transparent delivery terms rank among the top variables influencing conversion.
Buyer behavior is also shaped by online visibility: more than half of respondents said targeted offers lead them to spend more, and social reviews play an increasingly important role in determining where customers buy. Cross-border purchases are rising as well, with 62% of shoppers wanting to purchase internationally when pricing and delivery are competitive.
A Clear Signal for the Distribution Sector
The verified activity this season — from Global Industrial’s direct promotions to MSC’s structured UK campaign and Black Friday codes circulating for Grainger, Fastenal, and Uline — signals how Black Friday has firmly entered the B2B calendar.
What was once a consumer-oriented event is now shaping procurement cycles, year-end stocking decisions, and supplier selection across industrial and commercial markets. As business buyers grow more comfortable with seasonal promotions, distributors that build clear, transparent, and logistics-backed Black Friday strategies appear best positioned to capture incremental share heading into 2026.
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