Black Friday Sets New Online Spending Record With $11.8 Billion In Sales

Core Insights - Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales reached record levels in 2025, driven by e-commerce despite low consumer sentiment and inflation pressures [2] E-commerce Performance - U.S. shoppers spent $11.8 billion on Black Friday, with Shopify merchants generating $14.6 billion in sales, a 27% increase from the previous year [3][4] - The average cart price on Shopify was $114.70, with top-selling cities including Los Angeles, New York, London, San Francisco, and Miami [3] AI Influence - AI tools increased online traffic to retail websites by 805% year-on-year, as consumers sought the best deals [5] - Amazon's AI shopping agent, Rufus, saw over 250 million users this year, with a 149% increase in monthly average users [7] Payment Trends - "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) options accounted for $747.5 million in online spending on Black Friday, an 8.9% increase year-over-year [7] - Adobe predicted BNPL usage would exceed $1 billion by the end of Cyber Week, indicating consumer willingness to spend despite cash constraints [7] Foot Traffic Insights - Mall attendance reached new records, with the Mall of America seeing 235,000 visitors on Black Friday, an 8% increase [9] - However, small retailers experienced a 5.3% decrease in foot traffic, as shoppers preferred e-commerce for convenience [10][11]