Black Friday Sees Increase in Online Spending in the U.S. Amid Inflation Concerns

Recent data indicates that American consumers spent approximately $11.8 billion online on Black Friday, reflecting a more than 9% increase compared to the previous year, according to a report by Adobe Analytics, which monitors retail traffic across over one trillion visits to shopping websites.

The company anticipates that spending will remain robust over the weekend, projecting $5.5 billion on Saturday and $5.9 billion on Sunday, with growth rates ranging from 3.8% to 5.4%.

In contrast, Salesforce reported that total spending on Black Friday reached around $18 billion, a 3% increase from last year, confirming that clothing and luxury accessories were among the most sought-after categories.

However, it noted that rising prices have led consumers to purchase fewer items despite the overall increase in spending volume.

In traditional retail stores, foot traffic was below expectations on the morning following Thanksgiving, with some shoppers expressing concerns about increased spending due to ongoing inflation and economic uncertainty related to trade policies and the labor market.

Adobe forecasts that Cyber Monday, the largest online shopping event of the season, will see spending reach $14.2 billion, representing a 6.3% increase from last year, underscoring the ongoing shift towards digital commerce.