Black Friday Sets Online Spending Record of $11.8B, Adobe Says

American shoppers spent $11.8 billion online this Black Friday, according to new data from Adobe Analytics, which monitors over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail websites.

This marks a new record — up from $10.8 billion spent during last year’s Black Friday. Adobe reported that between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., online consumers were paying an astonishing $12.5 million per minute.
As Forbes noted, Adobe said the numbers confirm that Black Friday has evolved into “a major e-commerce moment, as more shoppers opt to stay home and take advantage of deals.”

The company also expects Cyber Monday — arriving in two days, on December 1 — to set an even bigger benchmark, forecasting $14.2 billion in online spending, according to Reuters.

Black Friday data from firms like Adobe and Salesforce often gives an early snapshot of how the rest of the holiday shopping season may unfold. Adobe projects total holiday spending in the U.S. will reach $253.4 billion, compared to $241.1 billion in 2024.

Salesforce recorded $79 billion in global online sales on Black Friday, with $18 billion coming from the United States — increases of 6% and 3% year-over-year. However, Salesforce noted that rising prices may explain much of that growth: prices were up an average of 7%, while order volumes slipped 1%.

Both Adobe and Salesforce also highlighted the growing impact of AI on consumer shopping behaviour. Salesforce said that AI tools and agents influenced $22 billion in global sales between Thanksgiving and Black Friday, though the company did not define the exact scope of “influence.”

Meanwhile, data on in-store shopping offered mixed results. RetailNext told Forbes that nationwide brick-and-mortar traffic fell by 3.4%, while Pass_by reported overall foot traffic was up 1.17%, including a striking 7.9% increase in department store visits.