From the Ocean to the Outlet: How Black Friday Drives Demand for Shipping Containers for Storage

Explore the historical keys factors at play and unveil the sensitive balance of global trade, consumer spending and the steel box at the heart of it all.

It’s that time of year, the shelves are stocked with the newest gadgets, holiday decor and gifts trending on the top of Santa's list. Retailers are hustling with last minute preparations for Black Friday. The busiest shopping day of the year is just days away.

According to NRF data (National Retail Federation) 197 million consumers shopped during the 2024 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, with 81.7 million shopping online stores and 87.3 on Black Friday itself. Total consumer spending on gifts, food, and decorations during the five-day weekend was $241.1 billion, an increase of 8.6% over 2023.

So how is this data relative to the used shipping container market, pricing and availability. Let’s explore the historical keys factors at play here and unveil the sensitive balance of global trade, consumer spending and the steel box at the heart of it all.

“Black Friday” as it relates to the modern-day description is referring to the day after Thanksgiving. Deriving from the 1950’s when police in Philadelphia described the difficult period of chaos from tourists and shoppers who were not at work. The day was later rebranded in the 80’s to encourage people to get out and shop. The day is now widely used as an economic indicator, especially for U.S. retail performance and is analyzed by financial institutions globally.

Promising once a year discounts, 24-hour shopping hours and massive sales- the day is now synonymous with kicking off the holiday shopping season and stimulating consumer spending. “Cyber Monday” followed in 2005. You have to love marketing…

The Ripple Effect: Black Friday’s Impact on Imports & Exports

Retailers and shipping companies prepare months (even years) in advance for the fourth-quarter shopping surge. Nearly 90% of consumer-packaged goods will travel via a 20ft or 40ft Corten Steel Box before reaching big box stores. So that electronics, clothing and gifts are stocked on shelves in time for the weekend, vessels packed full of ISO standard containers will start their ocean voyage to the United States as early as April or May. Once containers are unloaded at the appropriate ports and unloaded, the empty boxes are either exported back to the country of origin empty, repositioned and used, or stored at a yard or depot. Thus creating a delicate relationship between coastal ports and inland depots where the used boxes will be decommissioned.

Once the container is decommissioned they can be repurposed as durable and affordable storage. Black Friday triggers a sharp seasonal spike in the used container market for storage as retailers accelerate inventory movement ahead of the holiday rush. Major brands expand freight intake and outbound flows thus increasing their need for more onsite storage. To manage excess stock, returns, and rapid fulfillment, many businesses buy or rent used Corten steel boxes because they provide quickly deployable and durable space at a lower cost than leasing new warehouse capacity.

This surge in short-term demand drives price volatility across the used container sector, especially in dense logistics hubs where storage pressure is highest. As carriers and leasing firms reposition equipment before the holiday rush, certain regions experience temporary shortages that push prices upward. These shifting availability patterns create localized price swings—some markets tighten dramatically while others see surplus inventory return once peak demand passes.

This year price increases have been dampened as companies that lease containers to shipping lines have off hired large amounts of containers. As these companies looked to avoid accruing storage costs while these containers were sitting in container depots, leasing companies have been selling off used containers at relatively low prices. As a result, there has been a slight downward trend in used shipping container prices throughout 2025.

Behind The Bargains – The Business of Black Friday

Black Friday also fuels growth in small business applications for used containers. Large and independent retailers, e-commerce operators, and seasonal vendors often repurpose containers as temporary distribution centers or compact micro-warehouses to handle increased order and inventory volumes.

While containers are integral to import and export operations, their relatively low acquisition cost and durability make them particularly attractive for short-term storage of holiday overstock, secure storage, and temporary operations. Elevated demand often extends into the New Year as post Black Friday returns rise and retailers continue promotional activity, sustaining the need for adaptable container-based solutions.

Once decommissioned from oceanic transport, containers provide seasonal support for:

Onsite holiday décor and signage storage
Black Friday and seasonal inventory overflow
Secure storage of nonprofit donations, which surge during the holidays

How Tariffs, Global Supply and Trade Talks Disrupted 2025

In 2025, tariff concerns prompted businesses to accelerate imports as soon as a window of opportunity appeared with predictable lower tariffs with record volumes arriving as early as April. Inventory that typically ships in June or July was expedited to avoid looming tariffs, disrupting global supply chains and creating bottlenecks and unusual demand for empty containers. This was not a typical year for used container demand and highlighted the sensitive, dynamic relationship between Black Friday and container availability.

The ecosystem of the retail supply chain was strained throughout 2025, with the average consumer spending more on items this holiday season and a little less on containers due to the surplus of containers shipped earlier than normal and the selling off used containers once emptied to avoid storage fees.

In conclusion, prices of used shipping containers for storage have trended downwards through 2025. For more historical data and used container pricing insights, visit the Market Monitor.