25 Black Friday statistics you need to know 2026

Black Friday keeps breaking records, and the latest Black Friday statistics show shoppers spending earlier, buying smarter, and blending online shopping with in-store shopping more than ever. Here are the top Black Friday statistics from the 2025 season – the most recent complete data available – covering online sales, Black Friday spending, and the trends every merchant should watch heading into Black Friday 2026 (November 27).

Shopping habits shift year to year, so treat these numbers as a living benchmark rather than a fixed forecast. Use them to plan your own Black Friday sales, spot predictions worth acting on, and decide whether the hype is actually worth chasing.

Key takeaways – Black Friday stats from 2026 at a glance

• $11.8 billion spent online on Black Friday in the US – a record for the fourth straight year, up 9.1% from the previous year.

• $14.25 billion in Cyber Monday spending, still the single busiest shopping day of the season.

• A record 202.9 million shoppers turned out during the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, per the National Retail Federation.

• Shopify merchants generated $14.6 billion in global sales, up 27% from last year.

• Global Black Friday online sales were projected to reach $78 billion, with AI agents influencing roughly 22% of worldwide sales during Cyber Week.

• Mobile devices accounted for 56.4% of online transactions across the full holiday season.

• BNPL (buy now, pay later) purchases totaled $20 billion for the season, most of it on mobile phones.

• Consumers spent a record $257.8 billion online between November 1 and December 31 – up 6.8% year over year.

• Over half of shoppers had already started their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving weekend began.

Is Black Friday worth it for merchants in 2026?

Yes, despite “Black Friday is dying” headlines, the latest Black Friday facts and statistics suggest otherwise. NRF logged the largest Black Friday weekend turnout since it began tracking the figure in 2017, and overall retail sales – both online and in-store – grew alongside it, with Cyber Monday setting a single-day record for online spending.

Inflation and economic caution led consumers to compare prices carefully and seek deep discounts, but that didn’t stop them from showing up. Black Friday remains the busiest shopping day for both in-store and online retail, and it still sets the tone for holiday spending through the rest of the season – a trend that should hold steady across most Black Friday sales predictions for 2026.

1. Gamers still search hardest for consoles and phones

Tech dominates search intent every year, with consoles, phones, and headphones driving outsized demand compared with average October sales.

The takeaway: Don’t just sell the gadget – sell the culture around it, from protective gear to personalized decor for the spaces where these gadgets live.

2. Electronics led Cyber Monday spending – again

The Thanksgiving-to-Cyber Monday window generated $44.2 billion in online sales in 2025, up 7.7% year over year. Shoppers have shifted toward practicality and necessity over novelty items, increasing demand for electronics: the category drove $3.7 billion in Cyber Monday sales, up 12.8% year over year, and together with apparel and furniture made up 57% of all Cyber Monday online sales – a key data point among this year’s Black Friday shopping statistics.

The opportunity: Offer products that let people celebrate their passions with unique art and niche references that mass-market brands can’t replicate.

3. Discounts on toys hit their deepest point in years

Toy discounts peaked around 29.6% off on Black Friday 2025, up from 28% the previous year – one of the biggest average discount increases of any category tracked, and a clear signal of where consumer spending concentrated.

The lesson: Shoppers hunting for the biggest savings are also browsing for finishing touches. Capitalize with decorative, personal add-ons that raise your average cart value.

4. Apparel discounts widened, too

Apparel discounts climbed to 25.1% off, up from 23.2% in 2024, while electronics hit 29% and TVs reached 24.3%. Retailers leaned into competitive pricing across nearly every product category this year.

The opportunity: Shoppers weren’t just chasing the lowest price – many traded up when the value felt right. Personalization adds the extra touch that makes items gift-worthy.

5. Buy Now, Pay Later crossed a new milestone

BNPL spending hit an all-time high this holiday season at $20 billion, up 9.8% year over year. Cyber Monday alone crossed $1 billion in BNPL purchases for the first time, with 82.2% of that spending on mobile devices.

The action item: Highlight flexible payment options at checkout to reduce friction on higher-ticket items.

6. Mobile shopping officially overtook desktop purchases

Mobile shopping made up 56.4% of online shopping transactions this season, with mobile devices playing an even bigger role on Thanksgiving Day (61.6%) and Christmas Day (66.5%) – a clear shift in consumer behavior toward phone-first checkout.

The takeaway: Your store must be seamless on small screens, since that’s where most online shoppers start and finish their journeys.

7. In-store shopping is still very much alive

129.5 million consumers shopped in-store over the five-day weekend, up 3% from 126 million in 2024. Black Friday remained the top day overall for in-store shopping, drawing 80.3 million shoppers.

Reminder: Position your online store as the modern-day specialty boutique competing with major retailers and department stores.

8. Online shoppers edged past in-store totals for the weekend

134.9 million people went shopping online over Cyber Week, up 9% from 124.3 million a year earlier – now edging past in-store totals for the full five-day window, even with a slight drop in Black Friday’s own online figure compared with 2024.

The imperative: Be the brand shoppers find no matter which channel they start in.

9. Shoppers spent more per person than in any year since before the pandemic

Average spending over the weekend hit roughly $340 per shopper, about $22 more than the previous year, while consumer spending overall leaned toward meaningful purchases over cheap filler items.

The recipe: Frame your products as pieces of art or a genuine expression of personal style, not disposable goods – the kind of positioning that consistently drives stronger Black Friday sales.

10. AI shopping tools became a real force this year

AI-assisted shopping tools are being used to research products and generate gift ideas during holiday shopping, and the traffic numbers show it. The projection was for AI-assisted shopping traffic to climb 520% during the 2025 holiday season – the actual results blew past that. AI traffic to retail sites jumped 805% on Black Friday alone. AI agents influenced about 22% of global Cyber Week sales – roughly $70 billion in projected spending. AI-referred visitors converted at nine times the rate of visitors from social traffic.

The insight: Make sure your product data and reviews are structured clearly enough for AI shopping tools to find and recommend you.

11. Shopify merchants set a new sales record

Shopify sales hit $14.6 billion globally over BFCM weekend, a 27% jump from last year, with more than 81 million customers buying from Shopify-powered brands and sales peaking at $5.1 million per minute.

The lesson: Independent online retailers can compete with major retailers by focusing on unique designs, tight fulfillment, and steady retail traffic from repeat buyers.

12. Average cart value climbed on Shopify stores

Average cart value hit $114.70 during BFCM 2025, and 32% of orders were completed through Shop Pay – up 39% year over year.

The opportunity: Fast, familiar checkout options reduce cart abandonment and keep online carts filling instead of stalling out.

13. Worldwide Black Friday spending topped $79 billion

Salesforce clocked global Black Friday spending at $79 billion, up 6% year over year, with US sales reaching $18 billion. In-store point-of-sale volumes climbed 96% at the same time.

The insight: Global participation in Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales makes regional targeting a real growth lever, not just a nice-to-have.

14. Cyber Monday set another spending record

Cyber Monday spending hit $14.25 billion in the US, above Adobe’s own forecast. Globally, Salesforce recorded $53 billion in Cyber Monday sales, up 7% year over year.

The takeaway: Reliable hosting and frictionless checkout protect you from missing sales during peak traffic.

15. Thanksgiving Day became a genuine shopping day

Consumers spent a record $6.4 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, ahead of the traditional rush. Some retailers now launch deals on Thanksgiving eve, spreading demand across the full Black Friday week.

The takeaway is blunt: If your promos launch on Black Friday itself, you’re showing up late.

16. Deals started well before Thanksgiving

Over half of shoppers said they’d already begun holiday shopping before the weekend, and 54% took advantage of early promotions – evidence of shifting shopping trends and behaviors.

For merchants: Waiting until late November to launch your biggest Black Friday deals risks missing the early holiday shopping rush entirely.

17. Most holiday shopping was still ahead after Cyber Monday

Even after a record Cyber Week, shoppers told NRF they still had 53% of their holiday shopping left – almost identical to the year before, with 43% planning to shop again in December.

The big picture: Don’t stop at Black Friday. Extend campaigns through the full season to capture more holiday spending.

18. Clothing and toys topped the holiday gift list

Clothing and accessories ranked as the top gift category at 51%, followed by toys (32%), books and media (28%), and gift cards (26%) – key insights for anyone planning holiday inventory and Black Friday sales strategy.

Your strategy: Offer products tailored to specific tastes and relationships that chains can’t replicate.

19. Supermarkets and online were the top shopping destinations

Grocery stores led Thanksgiving-weekend destinations at 47%, followed by online (45%), department stores (40%), clothing stores (37%), and discount stores (30%). Many shoppers split their time across several retail sites rather than picking just one.

The reminder: Hybrid shopping is the default now, so make it easy to find you, whether someone starts with online shopping or a trip to a physical store.

20. Returns dropped for the first time in years

Returns fell 1.2% this season – a small but real shift after years of rising return rates tied to online purchases.

The takeaway: Clear descriptions and accurate sizing directly affect your bottom line by cutting down on costly returns.

21. UK shoppers set their own Cyber Week record

British shoppers spent over £6 billion (about $8.4 billion) during UK Cyber Week, up 3% from the previous year, while global Cyber Week sales rose 7% to roughly $336.6 billion.

The insight: Don’t treat Black Friday as a US-only event – international demand keeps climbing.

22. Unit sales of premium items climbed sharply

Sporting goods saw the biggest jump in premium-tier purchases this season, with the share of units sold in the priciest bracket projected to rise 56%, per Adobe’s holiday forecast, followed by electronics (52%) and appliances (39%).

The opportunity: Feature higher-priced, higher-quality products in your holiday catalog – this season’s shopping patterns show real appetite for it.

23. Bluetooth headphones and speakers stole the spotlight

Online sales of home security products jumped 1,050% this season compared with average spending from January through August 2025, one of the sharpest category surges Adobe tracked during the holiday season.

The takeaway: Watch for breakout micro-trends – shoppers enjoyed discovering niche products almost as much as scoring a deal.

24. Black Friday still drives serious in-store foot traffic

Point-of-sale volumes at physical stores climbed 96% year over year on Black Friday, even as online sales grabbed most headlines. Big-box aisles still matter – doorbusters keep shoppers coming back despite fewer items in some baskets.

The lesson: Don’t write off in-store shopping – an omnichannel presence covers more of the buyer’s journey than any single channel alone.

25. The full holiday shopping season crossed a new online record

Consumers set a new online spending record at $257.8 billion in the US across the season, up 6.8% from the year before, per Adobe. Globally, online holiday sales reached a record $1.29 trillion, up 7% year over year, according to Salesforce, while US online sales reached $294 billion.

The big picture: Don’t stop at Black Friday or Cyber Monday – the rest of the holiday season still delivers strong overall sales.

Between Adobe, Salesforce, and Shopify, 2025 produced sales records across nearly every channel tracked – a good snapshot of where Black Friday trends are headed next.

Black Friday statistics at a glance: 2023-2025

Black Friday 2026 predictions and trends to watch

Heading into Black Friday 2026 (Friday, November 27), expect AI-powered shopping assistants to take a bigger share of product discovery, mobile shopping to keep gaining on desktop shopping, and BNPL spending to keep growing as shoppers manage bigger budgets in installments.

Retailer apps and one-click checkouts will likely keep pulling share from browser-based shopping online, especially among Gen Z. Expect Black Friday eCommerce trends to favor personalization and fast shipping over deeper discounts, since average discount levels have stayed fairly flat for two years running.

Ready for the Black Friday shopping buzz?

The numbers are clear: online sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t slowing down. From tech and toys to apparel and self-care, shoppers are spending earlier, buying smarter, and looking for products that feel personal. For merchants, the opportunity is wide open – especially if you can offer something a major retailer can’t.

Use these Black Friday statistics as your playbook, get creative with your Black Friday deals, and turn seasonal demand into lasting growth. For more ideas, check out the best Black Friday-Cyber Monday marketing ideas from past years, dig into a high-value SEO keyword guide for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, or explore how Print on Demand can help you scale your holiday catalog without holding inventory.