Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing the way consumers browse the internet — it’s transforming one of the biggest shopping days of the year. As inflation squeezes budgets and economic uncertainty lingers, more Americans leaned on AI-powered shopping tools to save time, compare prices, and uncover the best possible deals this Black Friday. The result? A record-breaking online spending surge that highlights how quickly AI is reshaping digital commerce.
Black Friday 2025 revealed a major shift: consumers are increasingly skipping crowded malls and relying instead on chatbots, virtual assistants, and automated product-recommendation engines. What once required hours of scrolling and searching can now be done in seconds using AI agents designed to detect discounts, price fluctuations, and inventory changes in real time. This new shopping behavior helped push U.S. online sales to an unprecedented level — despite a challenging economic backdrop.
AI Helped Push U.S. Online Spending to a Record $11.8 Billion
Shoppers in the U.S. spent $11.8 billion online on Black Friday, a 9.1% increase from 2024, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks over 1 trillion retail website visits.
This surge is remarkable given today’s economic pressures:
- Budgets are tighter
- U.S. unemployment sits near a four-year high
- Consumer confidence has fallen to a seven-month low
- Inflation and tariffs are pushing prices higher
Even in this environment, shoppers spent aggressively — but more strategically than ever before.
Mastercard SpendingPulse also noted the shift:
- E-commerce sales jumped 10.4%
- In-store sales grew only 1.7%
As the traditional Black Friday crowds fade, online demand is accelerating — and AI is fueling much of that growth.
AI Traffic to Retail Sites Surged 805%
One of the most striking trends this year was the explosion in AI-assisted shopping traffic.
Adobe reports an 805% surge in AI-driven visits to U.S. retail sites compared to 2024 — an astonishing jump tied largely to the introduction of consumer-facing AI tools such as:
- Walmart’s Sparky
- Amazon’s Rufus
- Google Shopping AI assistants
- Retailer-built chatbot advisors
These tools helped shoppers:
- Compare prices instantly
- Find matching or alternative products
- Sort deals by discount depth
- Research product reviews and ratings
- Build shopping lists with deeper personalization
As Suzy Davidkhanian at eMarketer explained:
“Gift giving can be stressful, and LLMs make the discovery process feel quicker and more guided.”
For millions of shoppers, AI didn’t just enhance the experience — it made buying easier and faster during an otherwise overwhelming holiday season.
What Shoppers Bought: From Gaming Consoles to Home Essentials
Traditional gift favorites remained the biggest sellers. According to Adobe Analytics, top Black Friday products included:
- LEGO sets
- Pokémon trading cards
- Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 consoles
- Apple AirPods
- KitchenAid mixers and small kitchen appliances
These categories tend to pair well with AI-driven recommendations, which often highlight trending gifts or high-value deals based on millions of real-time data points.
AI Agents Influenced $14.2 Billion in Global Online Sales
Salesforce reported that AI agents globally influenced $14.2 billion worth of Black Friday online purchases.
Of that total:
- $3 billion came from U.S. shoppers alone
- U.S. consumers spent $18 billion across all online categories, including essentials like groceries
Luxury apparel and accessories saw significant gains, reflecting strong spending among higher-income households — even as middle-income consumers slowed purchases due to rising prices.
But AI’s influence doesn’t just come from shopping bots. Recommendation engines powered many of the transactions:
- Product filters
- Smart wishlists
- Personalized landing pages
- Cart value optimizers
- Automated discount finders
Together, these tools drove a more efficient shopping experience, boosting conversion rates even as shoppers bought fewer items overall.
Why Consumers Bought Fewer Items Despite Spending More
Interestingly, Salesforce found that:
- Order volumes fell 1%
- Units per transaction dropped 2%
- Average selling prices rose 7%
This means shoppers bought fewer products — but spent more per item.
There are two key reasons:
1. Tariffs and inflation are pushing prices higher
Caila Schwartz of Salesforce explained that tariffs on consumer goods, especially discretionary items, pushed selling prices up across many categories.
2. Higher-income shoppers are driving the growth
Stronger spending from wealthier households — who tend to buy premium products — heavily influenced average purchase value.
This explains why Black Friday revenue reached new records even though people took home fewer items.
Discount Levels Felt Weaker, Even When They Matched Last Year
Technically, Black Friday discounts were similar to 2024.
But psychologically, they didn’t feel as compelling.
Why?
- Higher product costs
- Tariff-driven price increases
- Flat discount percentages
- More cautious consumer sentiment
As Running Point CIO Michael Ashley Schulman noted, when prices rise faster than discounts, the real value of a deal appears smaller.
This helps explain why AI played such an important role — shoppers were searching for certainty in a year where bargains weren’t as obvious.
Black Friday Sets the Stage for a Huge Cyber Monday
Adobe expects Cyber Monday to bring in:
- $14.2 billion in sales, a 6.3% increase year over year
- Electronics leading with 30% off
- Strong discounts on computers and apparel
With AI tools growing more sophisticated, retailers anticipate yet another online shopping surge as consumers continue to prioritize convenience over in-store browsing.
In-Store Shopping Was Subdued
While online sales soared, physical stores saw softer demand.
Reasons included:
- Fear of overspending amid inflation
- Trade uncertainty affecting product pricing
- A soft labor market
- Shoppers’ preference for AI-assisted, digital shopping journeys
Holiday foot traffic is still part of American culture, but the numbers suggest it is no longer the dominant force.
AI Is Now the Quiet Engine Behind Holiday Shopping
Black Friday 2025 was more than a big spending day — it was a turning point in how Americans shop. AI tools didn’t just enhance the buying process; they fundamentally reshaped it, from product discovery to price comparison to checkout.
Even in a year defined by inflation and economic anxiety, consumers spent more than ever because AI empowered them to shop smarter, faster, and more confidently.
As Cyber Monday approaches and the broader holiday season unfolds, one thing is clear:
AI is no longer a novelty in retail — it’s the backbone of the modern shopping experience.
And in the years ahead, its influence will only grow.