Black Friday 2025 became a full blown online shopping spectacle with the help of AI

29 November 2025

The 2025 Black Friday shopping frenzy rewrote records. According to Adobe Analytics, U.S. shoppers spent a staggering $11.8 billion online, a 9.1 percent jump from the previous year. This surge came amid a fraught economic backdrop. With unemployment near a four-year high and consumer confidence at a seven-month low, many Americans entered the holiday season tightening their belts and scrutinizing each purchase. Still, the lure of discounts and the convenience of digital shopping proved irresistible as did a new wave of artificial intelligence tools designed to help bargain-hunters navigate an increasingly crowded web of options.

Traffic to retail websites surged, driven largely by AI-powered shopping assistants such as Walmart Sparky and Amazon Rufus, which debuted this year. Compared to 2024, AI-driven visits soared by 805 percent, testifying not just to deeper consumer interest in online deals, but also to the growing role of machine-learning tools in everyday shopping.

The adoption of these digital assistants appears to have helped shoppers find attractive deals quickly which may explain part of the record spending. According to an analyst at eMarketer, “gift giving can be stressful, and large language models make the discovery process feel quicker and more guided.”

Beyond Adobe’s data, a broader view comes from Salesforce, which estimates that global online sales influenced by AI and digital agents reached $14.2 billion with around $3 billion attributable to U.S. consumers. Across all categories, Salesforce puts the total U.S. Black Friday online bill at about $18 billion, up 3 percent from 2024. Luxury apparel and accessories featured heavily among popular picks.

Despite the increase in dollars spent, the real value that shoppers received may have been diluted. Price tags had climbed thanks to inflation and tariffs, and discount rates remained roughly on par with last year. As a result, customers tended to buy fewer items per transaction, with the number of units bought per order falling by 2 percent compared to 2024. Meanwhile average selling prices rose by 7 percent.

Even though Black Friday still draws attention, some analysts are already looking ahead. The stage seems set for an even bigger splash during Cyber Monday, which analysts expect could hit $14.2 billion in online sales, potentially surpassing Black Friday to become the busiest shopping day of the year. Electronics, computers, and apparel are expected to see the deepest discounts.

In contrast, physical retail, the crowded stores and midnight lines often associated with Black Friday remained subdued. Many consumers opted to skip in-store visits altogether, deterred by persistent inflation, economic uncertainty, and the hassle of navigating long queues. For many, the convenience, comparative ease, and targeted offerings of online shopping proved enough to stay home.

The numbers tell a striking story of a shifting retail landscape. Black Friday 2025 demonstrated how technology and changing consumer behavior are reshaping the holiday shopping season. AI is turning what was once a chaotic scramble for sales into a curated, data-driven hunt for deals. For retailers, it is a powerful signal: to thrive in the modern marketplace, you must meet shoppers where they are online, equipped with intelligent tools, and looking for value.