AI tools played a significant role in boosting online sales during Black Friday 2025 in the US, as a growing number of consumers preferred digital channels over crowded physical stores. According to data from Adobe Analytics, online spending hit a record $11. 8 billion on Black Friday, marking a 9. 1% increase compared to 2024. Adobe’s data is derived from tracking one trillion visits to US retail websites. Similarly, Mastercard SpendingPulse reported a noticeable shift toward digital shopping, noting a 10. 4% rise in e-commerce sales on Black Friday, compared with just a 1. 7% increase in in-store sales in 2024.

This underscores the growing comfort shoppers have with purchasing online during the holiday season. Adobe also observed a significant surge in AI-generated activity on retailers’ platforms. Traffic to US retail websites driven by AI tools surged by 805% from 2024, a time when features like Walmart’s shopping assistant Sparky and Amazon’s Rufus were not yet available. Popular Black Friday categories included toys, collectibles, and consumer electronics. High demand was reported for items such as LEGO sets, Pokémon cards, gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, as well as Apple AirPods and KitchenAid mixers. The strong Black Friday results are expected to fuel robust sales on Cyber Monday. Adobe projects Cyber Monday online sales will reach $14. 2 billion, a 6. 3% year-over-year increase, securing its place as the largest online shopping day of 2025. The company anticipates the steepest discounts in electronics, with price cuts up to 30% off list prices, along with significant markdowns on clothing and computers. In contrast, activity in physical stores was more subdued, with some shoppers expressing caution about spending heavily amid ongoing inflation, trade and tariff uncertainties, and a softer labor market.