American shoppers turned to artificial intelligence (AI) in unprecedented numbers this Black Friday, helping push online spending to a record $11.8 billion as many consumers selected to avoid crowded stores and shop from home.
On the 12 months’s busiest shopping day, US online spending surged 9.1% from last 12 months, and Americans increasingly relied on AI-powered chatbots to match prices and track deals, based on latest data from Adobe Analytics.
This 12 months saw an 805% spike in AI-driven traffic to US retail web sites compared with 2024, when tools like Walmart’s “Sparky” or Amazon’s “Rufus” weren’t yet available.
“Consumers are using latest tools to get to what they need faster,” Suzy Davidkhanian, an eMarketer analyst, told Reuters. “Gift giving may be stressful, and [large language models] make the invention process feel quicker and more guided.”
An Adobe survey also found that just about half of US shoppers have already used or are planning to make use of AI to help with their online shopping this season.
A few of the most sought-after items this Black Friday included Pokémon cards, LEGO sets, Apple AirPods, KitchenAid mixers, the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.
The spike in Black Friday online spending followed one other record-setting day during Thanksgiving.
Consumers spent a record $6.4 billion online during Thanksgiving, driven partly by a surge in discounts.
Spending increased 5.3% compared with a 12 months ago, as shoppers took advantage of Cyber Week deals that got here in stronger than expected, based on Adobe Analytics.
Reuters and FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.
American shoppers turned to artificial intelligence (AI) in unprecedented numbers this Black Friday, helping push online spending to a record $11.8 billion as many consumers selected to avoid crowded stores and shop from home.
On the 12 months’s busiest shopping day, US online spending surged 9.1% from last 12 months, and Americans increasingly relied on AI-powered chatbots to match prices and track deals, based on latest data from Adobe Analytics.
This 12 months saw an 805% spike in AI-driven traffic to US retail web sites compared with 2024, when tools like Walmart’s “Sparky” or Amazon’s “Rufus” weren’t yet available.
“Consumers are using latest tools to get to what they need faster,” Suzy Davidkhanian, an eMarketer analyst, told Reuters. “Gift giving may be stressful, and [large language models] make the invention process feel quicker and more guided.”
An Adobe survey also found that just about half of US shoppers have already used or are planning to make use of AI to help with their online shopping this season.
A few of the most sought-after items this Black Friday included Pokémon cards, LEGO sets, Apple AirPods, KitchenAid mixers, the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.
The spike in Black Friday online spending followed one other record-setting day during Thanksgiving.
Consumers spent a record $6.4 billion online during Thanksgiving, driven partly by a surge in discounts.
Spending increased 5.3% compared with a 12 months ago, as shoppers took advantage of Cyber Week deals that got here in stronger than expected, based on Adobe Analytics.
Reuters and FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.
