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- Black Friday online spending hits record $11.8B as American shoppers embrace new AI technology (foxbusiness.com)
Black Friday Breaks Records as AI Becomes Shoppers’ New Best Friend
This Black Friday, American consumers flocked to their screens and embraced artificial intelligence (AI) like never before, propelling online spending to a staggering $11.8 billion. Many shoppers chose to bypass crowded brick-and-mortar stores, opting instead for the comfort of home, according to new data from Adobe Analytics.
Online spending on the year’s busiest shopping day saw a significant 9.1% jump from last year. A key driver of this surge was the widespread adoption of AI-powered chatbots, which consumers increasingly relied on to compare prices and track down the best deals.
The retail landscape witnessed an astounding 805% increase in AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail websites compared to 2024. This notable rise is attributed to the widespread availability of new AI tools, such as Walmart’s “Sparky” and Amazon’s “Rufus,” which were not yet on the scene last year.
“Consumers are using new tools to get to what they need faster,” noted Suzy Davidkhanian, an eMarketer analyst, in an interview with Reuters. “Gift giving can be stressful, and [large language models] make the discovery process feel quicker and more guided.”
An Adobe survey further revealed that nearly half of all U.S. shoppers have either already utilized AI or plan to do so to assist with their online shopping this holiday season.
Among the most sought-after items this Black Friday were perennial favorites like Pokémon cards, LEGO sets, Apple AirPods, KitchenAid mixers, the Nintendo Switch, and the PlayStation 5.
This record-breaking Black Friday performance builds on another strong showing during Thanksgiving, where consumers spent a record $6.4 billion online. This surge was partially fueled by an increase in discounts. Online spending on Thanksgiving Day rose 5.3% compared to the previous year, as shoppers capitalized on Cyber Week deals that proved to be more enticing than anticipated, according to Adobe Analytics.