E-commerce spending in the U.S. hit $11.8 billion on Black Friday, marking a 9.1% increase over e-commerce sales in 2024, according to data from Adobe Analytics, which collects and analyzes online consumer data for businesses.
Meanwhile, early data shows that in-store traffic was down -3.6% on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 28-29) compared to Black Friday weekend in 2024, according to Retail Next, which analyzes traffic at tens of thousands of brick-and-mortar stores in the U.S.
Artificial intelligence’s impact on online shopping is growing. On Thanksgiving, web traffic directed by generative artificial-intelligence chat services and browsers increased by 725% in the U.S. compared with Thanksgiving last year, according to Adobe. What’s more, consumers who land on a retailer’s website because of AI are 38% more likely to buy than others.
According to Adobe, AI-driven website traffic was up 770% year-over-year for the period of Nov. 1 through Nov. 30. AI tools are used most often for video games, appliances, electronics, toys, personal care and baby product categories.
Adobe is forecasting that a record $253.4B will be spent online this holiday season (Nov. 1–Dec. 31), up 5.3% year-on-year.
