AI tools played a prominent role in driving online sales during Black Friday 2025 in the US, as more consumers turned to digital channels and avoided busy stores.
Data from Adobe Analytics shows that online spending reached a record $11.8bn on Black Friday, a 9.1% rise from 2024.
Adobe’s figures are based on tracking one trillion visits to US retail websites.
Mastercard SpendingPulse reported a similar shift towards digital channels. It recorded a 10.4% increase in e-commerce sales on Black Friday, compared with a 1.7% rise in in-store sales in 2024, highlighting how shoppers are increasingly comfortable buying online during the holiday season.
Adobe noted a sharp uptick in AI-related activity on retailers’ platforms.
Traffic driven by AI tools to US retail sites was up 805% from 2024. At that time, features such as Walmart’s shopping assistant Sparky and Amazon’s Rufus had yet to be rolled out.
Popular categories on Black Friday included toys, collectibles and consumer electronics.
Strong demand was seen for LEGO sets, Pokemon cards and gaming consoles such as the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, as well as items including Apple AirPods and KitchenAid mixers.
The strong Black Friday performance is expected to feed into robust Cyber Monday trading.
Adobe forecasts that Cyber Monday will generate $14.2bn in online sales, up 6.3% year-on-year, making it the biggest internet shopping day of 2025.
The firm expects electronics to feature the steepest markdowns, with discounts of up to 30% off list prices, alongside notable reductions on clothing and computers.
Activity in bricks-and-mortar outlets was more muted. Some shoppers also reported hesitancy about spending too much in the face of ongoing inflation, uncertainty linked to trade and tariffs, and a weaker labour market.
