Online Sales Outpace Stores in 2025 Black Friday's AI-Driven Shift

U.S. consumers shattered online spending records during Black Friday 2025, with Adobe Analytics reporting $11.8 billion in digital transactions - a 9.1% jump from the previous year. The surge, driven by mobile shopping and AI-powered purchasing tools, marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of holiday retail, as online sales outpaced traditional in-store foot traffic. Traffic peaked between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time, with $12.5 million transacting per minute. Meanwhile, Salesforce estimated global online sales at $79 billion, underscoring the growing dominance of e-commerce in the $1.1 trillion holiday shopping season.

The shift to digital was amplified by AI-driven shopping behaviors, with Adobe noting a 600% surge in AI-assisted traffic as consumers leveraged tools for price comparisons and personalized recommendations. Categories like gaming hardware, home appliances, and wellness tech saw significant demand. STORMCRAFT PC, for instance, offered up to $600 off its AI-ready gaming desktops, including the flagship Phantom PH265F0CC-580W1 model featuring an Intel Ultra 7 processor and NVIDIA RTX 5080 graphics, as part of its Black Friday-Cyber Monday deals. Similarly, QUINEAR introduced two cordless recovery systems, the QN-090A and QN-071A, targeting athletes and wellness enthusiasts with clinical-grade leg compression therapy.

Cybersecurity emerged as an unexpected Black Friday highlight, with Cyber Advice reporting early promotions on privacy tools like Proton VPN and NordVPN. Proton's deal offered 75% off its Plus subscription, slashing the price to $2.49 per month, while NordVPN slashed prices by up to 77%. These discounts aligned with rising consumer awareness of online threats, particularly as shopping traffic surged across platforms.

Physical retail, however, struggled to match the momentum. RetailNext data revealed a 3.6% decline in U.S. in-store foot traffic compared to 2024, reflecting a broader trend of consumers opting for the convenience of online deals or extended promotions. "Shoppers are changing how and when they shop," said Joe Shasteen, RetailNext's global analytics manager according to RetailNext's data. This shift was evident in Bali Outdoors' early Black Friday campaign, which launched its official website alongside 50% discounts on fire pits and outdoor heating solutions.

Looking ahead, Adobe projected a record-breaking Cyber Week, forecasting $43.7 billion in sales from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday - a 6.3% increase year-over-year. Yet challenges loom, including rising tariffs and inventory constraints, which experts warn could limit discount depth. Erik Guzik of the University of Montana noted that retailers are absorbing higher import taxes, potentially capping discounts at 20-30% instead of historical 40-50% ranges.

As consumers continue to embrace digital-first shopping, the 2025 Black Friday underscored both the resilience of holiday spending and the transformative power of technology - from AI-driven commerce to next-gen recovery devices. With Cyber Monday and extended deals still ahead, the stage is set for a record-breaking holiday season.