Black Friday Online Sales Hit $8.6B as Shoppers Skip the Cold
Black Friday Online Sales Hit $8.6B as Shoppers Skip the Cold
US online Black Friday spending climbs to $8.6 billion through 6:30 p.m. ET, with shoppers turning to devices to chase deals amid inflation and brisk weather.
U.S. online Black Friday spending reached $8.6 billion by 6:30 p.m. ET, Adobe Analytics reported, as shoppers favored laptops and smartphones over braving the cold to hit stores. The figure marks a 9.4% rise from last year and comes as retailers push online deals through the holiday weekend.
Adobe’s dataset tracks more than 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites. The company previously projected Black Friday online sales would rise about 8.3% to roughly $11.7 billion, with the final tally nudging the Friday total toward $11.7–$11.9 billion. Analysts also forecast Saturday at $5.5 billion and Sunday at $5.9 billion, building toward a Cyber Monday that could exceed $14.2 billion.
Even as bargain hunters moved online, inflation and a soft labor market kept in-store crowds lighter than some expectations. Amazon, meanwhile, planned to hire about 250,000 seasonal workers during the holiday season for a third straight year, underscoring the continued shift to online shopping.
Taken together, the early results hint at a resilient start to the holiday season, with retailers relying on rapid fulfillment and heavy discounts to attract shoppers who balance deals with budgets. The longer-term trend remains clear: Black Friday is increasingly a digital-first event, reshaping marketing, inventory, and delivery strategies across the sector.
Stay tuned for the final tally and Cyber Monday results, which are expected to set new benchmarks for online holiday spending.
Cover image source: How Gen Z Is Shopping 🔗
