Black Friday sets online spending record of $11.8B, Adobe says

Core Insights - American consumers spent a record $11.8 billion online on Black Friday, an increase from $10.8 billion the previous year, indicating a significant growth in e-commerce during this shopping event [1][2] - Adobe projects that Cyber Monday will surpass Black Friday with an expected $14.2 billion in online spending [2] - Salesforce reported $79 billion in global spending on Black Friday, with $18 billion attributed to the U.S., reflecting year-over-year increases of 6% and 3% respectively [4] E-commerce Trends - The data from Adobe and Salesforce serves as an early indicator of broader holiday shopping trends, with Adobe forecasting total holiday spending of $253.4 billion this year, up from $241.1 billion in 2024 [3] - The influence of AI on holiday shopping is growing, with Salesforce noting that AI and AI agents influenced $22 billion in global sales between Thanksgiving and Black Friday [5] In-store vs Online Shopping - There is mixed data regarding online trends compared to in-person shopping, with RetailNext reporting a 3.4% decrease in nationwide in-store traffic, while Pass_by indicated an overall increase of 1.17% in foot traffic, and a notable 7.9% increase in department stores [6]