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💻 Online Shopping Surges to Historic Levels
Data from Adobe Analytics shows that digital shopping reached unprecedented heights on Black Friday, with Americans spending $11.8 billion online, marking a 9.1% year-over-year increase.
Online activity spiked dramatically between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. nationwide, a period when shoppers pushed $12.5 million in purchases every minute.
Adobe also reported another milestone: Thanksgiving Day online spending hit $6.4 billion.
Sales were especially strong in categories such as:
Gaming consoles
Consumer electronics
Home appliances
Adobe noted that AI-powered shopping tools and social media–driven discovery played an increasingly influential role in guiding what consumers chose to buy.
🌐 Global Online Sales Hit New Highs
Other tech platforms also logged exceptional activity:
Salesforce estimated U.S. online Black Friday sales at $18 billion, with global totals reaching $79 billion.
Shopify merchants worldwide produced a record $6.2 billion in sales.
At peak moments, revenue soared to $5.1 million per minute, with beauty products and apparel leading the way.
🏬 In-Person Shopping Grows — but Slowly
Mastercard SpendingPulse reported that total Black Friday retail performance — excluding auto sales — rose 4.1% compared to last year.
Online spending grew at a strong double-digit pace, while store-based purchases edged up a modest 1.7%.
Michelle Meyer, chief economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute, observed that shoppers are adapting to the current climate by
starting earlier, seeking promotions, and prioritizing long-desired items.
🛒 Black Friday Evolves Into a Week-Long Event
The classic image of midnight lines and doorbuster chaos continues to fade as consumers shift toward online deals and extended promotional periods.
Foot traffic data shows this shift clearly:
📉 Store Traffic Trends
RetailNext found U.S. store visits on Black Friday dropped 3.6% from last year — a milder decline than the 6.2% fall observed in the days before Thanksgiving.
Sensormatic Solutions recorded a 2.1% dip on Black Friday, consistent with patterns seen throughout 2024.
Week-over-week traffic, however, jumped nearly 57% leading into the holiday weekend.
Industry experts note that Black Friday now marks the opening of an intense retail stretch, with the following weekend and the final days before Christmas anticipated to be major traffic drivers.
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📦 E-Commerce Momentum Continues Into Cyber Weekend
Adobe expects American consumers to add:
$5.5 billion in online purchases on Saturday
$5.9 billion on Sunday
And a massive $14.2 billion on Cyber Monday — which would break yet another spending record
💳 Higher Prices, Lower Volume
While spending totals are rising, the number of products purchased is not. Salesforce reported:
U.S. order volumes declined 1%
Average prices increased 7%, pushing total spending higher despite fewer items per cart
Economists note that recent tariffs on imported goods — alongside corporate layoffs and the aftermath of the 43-day government shutdown — have added strain to both households and businesses.
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