U.S. consumers spent a record $11.8 billion online during Black Friday sales

"Adobe Analytics, which tracks e-commerce, said U.S. consumers spent a record $11.8 billion online Friday, marking a 9.1% jump from last year. It was a slight increase from the company's spending estimate of $11.7 billion. Traffic particularly piled up between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time nationwide, when $12.5 million passed through online shopping carts every minute. Mobile shopping was estimated to drive more than half of all sales, according to Adobe."

"Consumers also spent a record $6.4 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, per Adobe. Top categories that saw an uptick in sales across both days included video game consoles, electronics and home appliances. Shopping services powered by artificial intelligence and social media advertising have also particularly influenced what consumers choose to buy, the firm said. Meanwhile, software company Salesforce estimated that Black Friday online sales totaled $18 billion in the U.S. and $79 billion globally. And e-commerce platform Shopify said its merchants raked in a record $6.2 billion in sales worldwide on Black Friday. At its peak, sales reached $5.1 million per minute - with top categories including cosmetics and clothing, according to the Canadian company."

U.S. online Black Friday sales hit record levels, with Adobe reporting $11.8 billion spent and a 9.1% increase from last year. Peak online traffic occurred between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time, with $12.5 million passing through carts per minute and mobile accounting for more than half of sales. Thanksgiving online spending reached $6.4 billion. Top rising categories included video game consoles, electronics and home appliances, while AI shopping services and social media advertising influenced purchases. Salesforce and Shopify reported strong global and merchant sales figures, and RetailNext measured a 3.6% drop in U.S. in-store Black Friday traffic.

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