US Online Holiday Sales Up 8% Year on Year – Adobe

US e-commerce sales grew in the first month of the holiday season as consumers took advantage of early deals.

Sales rose 8% year on year to $79.7 billion for the first 23 days of November, Adobe reported Wednesday. Buyers spent over $3 billion a day on 22 of those, setting a new record. Last year, Americans shelled out $3 million over a 24-hour period for 20 of the first 23 days of the same month.

“The strong spend so far has been driven in part by early deals,” Adobe said. “However, the best bargains are coming in the days ahead.”

So far this season, shoppers have spent the most on electronics, which saw a 4.4% rise to $17.7 billion, while apparel brought in $14.8 billion — a 6% jump.

For the first three weeks of November, discounts on electronics spiked 12%, with the category expected to peak at 29% off on Cyber Monday, while apparel is likely to experience a discount of 25%, toys 27% and appliances 18%.

Cyber Week, which stretches over five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, is forecast to drive 17% of total holiday spending this season, bringing in $43.7 million, a 6% increase compared to last year. Cyber Monday continues to be the biggest online shopping day of the year.

Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered traffic rose 830% year on year. During the 2024 holiday season, Adobe noted AI-generated traffic spiked 1,300% year on year. In a survey Adobe conducted, 32% of respondents said they used AI to assist them with their online purchases.

Shoppers are increasingly taking advantage of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services, which recorded a 10% gain to $6.1 billion. This represents almost $600 million more than in the equivalent period of last year. 

Image: Online shopping. (Shutterstock)