Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024 Sales Statistics in America

Updated December 3, 2024

For the first time, online sales for Black Friday in America have surpassed the 10 billion dollar mark. On Black Friday 2024, e-commerce reached a record 10.8 billion dollars, with a 10.2% increase over the previous year [source: Adobe Analytics] more than double the online sales of Black Friday 2017, which generated 5 billion dollars in e-commerce sales for the American market.

Specifically, 52.8% of online purchases in America during Black Friday 2024 were made from an iPhone. In total, between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM on Friday, November 29, 2024, American consumers spent an average of 11.3 million dollars per minute online. 2024 was definitely the year for online sales on Black Friday: Traditional retail sales, in fact, increased by only 0.7%

Online sales records for the American market continue with Cyber Monday 2024 totaling 13.2 billion dollars in purchases, an all-time daily record for e-commerce in the United States. This represents a 6.4% increase over the online sales achieved in the American market in 2023

Updated November 27, 2023

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023 Sales Statistics in America

Americans are willing to spend more compared to 2022, and Black Friday sales data confirms this trend

• American consumers spent 9.8 billion dollars during Black Friday, recording a 7.5% increase compared to 2022 [Source: Adobe Analytics]
• Impulse purchases played a crucial role in the sales increase, as 5.3 billion dollars of online sales came from mobile. Influencers and social media boost consumers' inclination to buy directly from their phones [Source: Adobe Analytics]
• Despite the increasing data, shoppers remain price-conscious, and 79 million dollars of sales came from consumers who chose the “buy now, pay later” option, registering a +47% compared to last year [Source: Adobe Analytics]
• The most popular category was electronics, such as smartwatches and televisions, as well as toys and video games [Source: Adobe Analytics]
• An analysis by Mastercard reveals that sales in physical stores increased by only 1% compared to 2022, showing a shift in Americans' habits, who prefer the convenience and ability to compare different online offers over long lines and in-store chaos

Market experts predict that the spending peak will occur during Cyber Monday, reaching a record amount of 12 billion dollars, with a +5.4% increase compared to 2022. After this date, it's likely that purchases for non-essential goods will begin to decline, except for last-minute gifts close to the Christmas holidays.

Attracted by discounts and advantageous offers from online merchants, Americans make the majority of their purchases in the week between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, even with an eye toward Christmas gifts. From the graph provided here, it is evident how over the years online has gained more importance and sales have increased steadily, except for 2021 when the post-pandemic economic crisis made American consumers less willing to spend.

Originally published on November 30, 2022

Increase in Retail Sales in America Also Due to Renewed Attention to Physical Stores

Black Friday and Cyber Monday continue to set sales records in the United States. These are the estimates from the main data analysis platforms:

• American consumers spent 9.12 billion dollars online during Black Friday, despite the economic uncertainty [Source: Adobe Analytics]
• With 11.3 billion in sales, Cyber Monday 2022 was the largest online shopping day in U.S. history [Source: Adobe Analytics]
• There was a recovery in traditional stores, with purchases up 12% year-over-year [Source: Mastercard SpendingPulse]
• Shopify reported a total increase in online and offline sales of 17% driven by renewed public interest in physical stores (+25%).
• 48% of online purchases were made on a smartphone, marking the triumph of mobile commerce in the USA.

The Black Week discounts gave about 197 million American consumers a reason to buy electronics, toys, and clothing, spending both online and in physical stores. The value of Cyber Monday sales increased by 5.8% compared to 2021: this is what emerged from Adobe Analytics data, which measures the performance of the e-commerce sector in the United States by analyzing purchases made at major online retailers. Mastercard, which also analyzes sales made offline, reports an increase in retail sales in America of 11% (a figure that does not account for inflation).

What Is the Health Status of the Retail Sector in America?

Sales data for the days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday have always been a valuable source of information on current consumption trends in the United States

Let's analyze the shopping patterns of American consumers

On one hand, we have e-commerce growing at a slower pace (but still steadily growing), on the other, there are physical stores that have returned to performing positively after being penalized by the pandemic and the explosion of digital purchasing channels.

These are unexpected results after these years of extraordinary growth in digital channels in America: in just 7 years, e-commerce sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday have increased by +203% with annual differences between +20% and +23%, while the growth rate of digital channels between 2021 and 2022 was between +2.3% (Black Friday) and +5.8% (Cyber Monday). Conversely, brick-and-mortar is again experiencing a significant economic expansion, also boosting the restaurant sector (+21%) with the return of consumers to shopping streets [Source: Mastercard SpendingPulse].

How can these trend deviations be explained? Here's our take:

1. Inflation and the generally difficult economic climate have pushed consumers to spend on days when the best price deals are concentrated (hence the rising total revenues), but the average budget has contracted.
2. The spread of purchases over the months of October and November led to early demand and more frequent discounts (hence the slowdown in Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales).

In addition, economic uncertainty has pushed many American consumers to use installment payments to keep shopping without putting too much strain on their bank accounts: last week the number of “Buy Now Pay Later” payments increased by 78%, while revenues almost doubled compared to the same period in 2021.

Selling in the United States: In America, Shopping Continues Regardless of Inflation

Retailers in the American market are dealing with challenges such as supply chain slowdowns, consumer caution, and rising prices. Overall, however, Americans continue to purchase discretionary goods, thanks in part to the United States' low unemployment rate, solid job growth, and wage increases.