Black Friday Online Shopping Hits Record $10.8 Billion: What Were People Buying?
This year’s Black Friday online shopping set a new record, with consumers spending a staggering $10.8 billion, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks U.S. e-commerce data. This is more than double what was spent in 2017, when online sales totaled just over $5 billion.
The surge in Black Friday sales followed another record: consumers spent $6.1 billion online on Thanksgiving Day itself, marking a nearly 9% increase from the previous year.
What Did People Buy on Black Friday?
Toys were a major driver of Black Friday online sales, with toy purchases soaring by 622% compared to an average day earlier in the fall. Other big categories included jewelry, which rose by 561%, appliances up 476%, apparel up 374%, and electronics up 334%.
Popular toys this year included Harry Potter LEGO sets, “Wicked” toys, card and board games, Disney Princess dolls, and Cookeez Makery oven playsets. Gaming consoles like the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch OLED, and Meta Quest were also in high demand.
In addition to toys and games, beauty and tech products were big sellers. Makeup and skincare sets, Bluetooth speakers, headphones, smartwatches, perfumes, and espresso machines also saw a boost in sales.
Mobile Shopping on the Rise
More than half of all online sales on Black Friday (about 55%) were made through mobile devices, highlighting a shift toward shopping on smaller screens.
In-Store vs. Online Shopping
While online shopping soared, in-store sales showed a much smaller increase. MasterCard reported that online retail sales grew by 14.6% compared to last year, while in-store sales only rose by 0.7%. Overall, retail sales—including both online and in-store—were up 3.4% this year.
It seems consumers were more inclined to shop from the comfort of their homes than to visit physical stores this Black Friday.
