Black Friday online sales in the U.S. reached $11.8 billion in 2025, a 9.1% increase from the $10.8 billion recorded the year before, according to Adobe Analytics. This figure comes from tracking over one trillion visits to U.S. retail websites, giving a clear snapshot of consumer activity on November 28. The growth beat Adobe’s initial forecast of 8.3%, showing shoppers pushed spending higher than expected despite economic pressures like tariffs and inflation.
Spending hit its stride between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when consumers dropped more than $12.5 million per minute on sites across the country. Toys, electronics, and apparel led the charge with some of the strongest gains, as families and gadget enthusiasts snapped up deals in those categories. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) saw heavy traffic, much like Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT), where tools integrated into their platforms helped guide purchases. Mobile devices powered over half of these transactions, reflecting how comfortable people have grown with tapping “buy” from their phones while multitasking at home or work.
Consumers shifted toward smarter, faster ways to shop, leaning hard on mobile apps and AI assistants to hunt discounts without leaving their screens. Adobe noted AI-driven traffic to retail sites jumped 805% from 2024, with shoppers using chatbots to compare prices on video games, appliances, and baby products. Those arriving via AI were 38% more likely to complete a purchase, proving these tools cut through the noise of endless options. This marks a real change in habits: instead of browsing aimlessly, people now ask AI for tailored recommendations, speeding up decisions in a crowded market.
Tech like Amazon’s Rufus and Walmart’s Sparky played a big role, answering queries on stock levels and bundle deals in seconds. Peak hours amplified this effect, as midday lulls let office workers or parents check carts on the go, blending shopping into daily routines. Shopify Inc. (NYSE: SHOP, TSX: SHOP) benefited too, with smaller merchants using its AI features to match big players on personalization. The result? Fewer abandoned carts and more conversions, even as average prices crept up 7% year over year from inflation and supply costs.
Order volumes dipped slightly by 1%, hinting buyers focused on fewer, higher-value items amid tighter budgets. Yet the overall lift in dollars spent shows resilience, with tech bridging the gap between cautious wallets and tempting promotions. Retailers who embedded AI early captured this wave, turning Black Friday into a proving ground for next-gen shopping. As holiday data rolls in, these metrics point to a lasting pivot where convenience and intelligence shape how people part with their money.
