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Online shoppers spent a record $257.8 billion from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, a 6.8% increase from the same period in 2024, according to Adobe Analytics. Over the same period, daily e-commerce spending totaled or surpassed $4 billion on 25 days, compared to 18 in 2024.
Cyber Week, the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, generated $44.2 billion in online sales, up 7.7% from a year ago. Cyber Monday had the biggest single day total, generating $14.2 billion in online sales, up 7.1% from a year earlier. Online shoppers spent $11.8 billion on Black Friday, up 9.1% year-over-year, and $6.4 billion on Thanksgiving Day, up 5.3%.
Adobe Analytics tracked more than 1 trillion visits to retail e-commerce sites in the United States, 100 million stock keeping units, and 18 product categories.
Deep discounts were a key driver behind the record online sales, according to Adobe. Discounts on electronics peaked at 30.9% off list price, up from 30.1% in 2024, while those on toys peaked at 29.6%, compared to 28% in 2024. Discounts on apparel peaked at 25.1%, compared to 23.2%.
“People are getting smarter about online shopping. They’re not just browsing, they’re hunting for the best deals and timing their buys to score big savings,” Vivek Pandya, director of digital insights at Adobe Analytics, says. “Shoppers know discounts pop up all season long, but they’re holding out for the biggest price drops on days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The digital space has become the go-to spot for savvy shoppers looking to stretch their dollars and snag the best stuff a,t the right time.”
Many online shoppers turned to buy now, pay later loans to help finance their shopping. Purchases backed with BNPL totaled $20 billion, up 9.8% from 2024. Cyber Monday had the highest usage for a single day, with online shoppers generating $1.03 billion in BNPL loans, up 4.2% from a year earlier. An Adobe Analytics survey of more than 1,000 consumers in the United States conducted last November showed respondents were most likely to use BNPL loans to purchase electronics, apparel, toys, and furniture.
Online shoppers are increasingly turning to BNPL loans to finance purchases because it provides the ability to split payments over time, often without having to pay interest, according to Adobe. “This structure makes budgeting easier during high-spending seasons and appeals to shoppers seeking financial convenience without added costs,” Pandya says.
Curbside pickup, a popular shopping option during the Covid 19 pandemic, was used for 17.1% of online orders during the holiday season, down from 17.5% in 2024. Online shoppers made the greatest use of the service on Dec. 23, when 39% of online orders were picked up curbside. Despite the slight dip in the overall use of curbside pickup, consumers still find the speed and convenience the service offers to be of value, Adobe says.
The number of online shoppers directed to merchant Web sites from generative AI tools increased nearly sevenfold from a year ago. “Shoppers are increasingly using generative AI platforms to research pricing and secure better deals, leading to a surge in traffic from these tools,” Pandya says.
Meanwhile, for online shoppers, returns were down 1.2% compared to a year ago.
