U.S. Online Spending on Black Friday Reaches $11.8 Billion Amid Inflation Worries

American consumers spent approximately $11.8 billion online on Black Friday, reflecting a rise of over 9% compared to the previous year, as reported by Adobe Analytics, which monitors retail activity across over a trillion visits to shopping websites.

The firm anticipates that spending will persist throughout the weekend, estimating $5.5 billion on Saturday and $5.9 billion on Sunday, with growth rates projected between 3.8% and 5.4%.

In contrast, Salesforce reported that total purchases on Black Friday reached around $18 billion, a 3% increase from last year, with clothing and luxury accessories emerging as the most popular categories.

Despite the increase in overall spending, Salesforce noted that higher prices have prompted consumers to purchase fewer items.

Foot traffic in brick-and-mortar stores was lower than anticipated on the morning after Thanksgiving, with some shoppers voicing concerns about overspending in light of persistent inflation and economic uncertainties related to trade policies and the labor market.

Adobe forecasts that Cyber Monday, regarded as the peak online shopping day of the season, will see spending reach $14.2 billion, an increase of 6.3% from last year, underscoring the ongoing transition to digital commerce.