Despite the current economic uncertainty, changes in tariffs, and rising prices, the “Black Friday” shopping period has extended. However, according to data from various sales analysis companies, this year’s total online sales on Black Friday in the United States increased by nearly 10% compared to last year, reaching a new record of $11.8 billion. Additionally, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), online shopping continues to rise, while physical store retail continues to decline, marking a trend for this year’s Black Friday. Today is the traditional “Cyber Monday,” and retailers are expecting another wave of shopping frenzy.
According to data analysis from e-commerce tracking company Adobe Analytics, American consumers set a record of $11.8 billion in online spending on Black Friday, representing a 9.1% increase from the same period last year. Additionally, online shopping on Thanksgiving Day also achieved a record of $6.4 billion. The main purchased products include gaming consoles, electronics, and household appliances. The company noted that AI-driven shopping services and social media advertising have significantly influenced consumers’ purchasing choices.
Black Friday is no longer the shopping carnival of bustling malls and frenzied purchasing from decades ago. More and more consumers are opting to shop online, comfortably staying at home to complete their post-Thanksgiving shopping, or spreading their purchases across longer promotional activities provided by retailers.
As a result, foot traffic in physical stores continues to decline. Data from retail sales tracking platform SpendingPulse shows that online sales on Black Friday increased by 10.4% year-on-year, while physical stores only saw a 1.7% increase. Preliminary data from RetailNext, which monitors foot traffic in physical stores in real-time, indicates that foot traffic on the U.S. “Black Friday” declined by 3.6% compared to 2024.
“The issue not only lies in consumers staying at home but also in how they have changed their shopping habits and timing,” said Joe Shasteen, Senior Global Analytics Manager at RetailNext, in an interview with CBS. Nowadays, consumers spread out their shopping over longer time periods, and the purpose of in-store shopping is clearer than in previous holiday seasons.
While overall spending has increased, software company Salesforce found that the quantity of items purchased by American consumers during “Black Friday” checkout has decreased (down 2% from last year). The company pointed out that order volume also dropped by 1%, while average selling prices rose by 7%.
After Black Friday, there is another shopping peak in the form of today’s “Cyber Monday.” Retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart have announced their biggest discount events on Cyber Monday, with discounts of up to 60% off or more. The range of discounted products is extensive, and details can be found on each company’s website. Some will extend their discount activities even for a week.
Adobe predicts that Cyber Monday sales could reach $14.2 billion, a 6.3% increase year-on-year, making it the largest single-day online shopping day of the year.