Black Friday online sales soared to a record $11.8 billion in the U.S., marking a robust 9.1% increase from the previous year according to Adobe Analytics, fueled in part by AI-powered tools that helped consumers hunt down the best deals more efficiently. While e-commerce thrived, physical store traffic remained subdued as inflation and uncertainty over trade policies kept many shoppers at home. Looking ahead, Adobe projects Cyber Monday to shatter expectations with $14.2 billion in online spending alone.
Reuters:
Online shopping demand increased as consumers showed savviness in the holiday season, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which noted a 10.4% growth in e-commerce sales on Black Friday, compared to an in-store sales growth of 1.7% in 2024.
The AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail sites soared 805% compared to last year, Adobe said, when artificial intelligence tools such as Walmart’s Sparky or Amazon’s Rufus had not yet been launched.
“Consumers are using new tools to get to what they need faster,” said Suzy Davidkhanian, an analyst at eMarketer. “Gift giving can be stressful, and LLMs (large language models) make the discovery process feel quicker and more guided.”
Hot sellers on Black Friday included LEGO sets, Pokemon cards, gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, and products ranging from Apple AirPods to KitchenAid mixers.
Globally, AI and agents influenced $14.2 billion in online sales on Black Friday, of which $3 billion came from the U.S. alone, according to software firm Salesforce.
Salesforce, whose data includes non-discretionary items like groceries, reported that U.S. consumers had spent $18 billion online on Black Friday purchases, up 3% from a year ago, with luxury apparel and accessories among the most popular categories.
MacDailyNews Take: This Black Friday spending surge paves the way for an even more explosive Cyber Monday, with Adobe forecasting a record-breaking $14.2 billion in online sales — a 6.3% jump year-over-year that will cement it as the single biggest e-commerce day of the season.
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