The U.S. "Black Friday" shopping performance was mediocre, but online shopping set a new record

With the conclusion of Thanksgiving, the United States welcomes the annual "Black Friday" shopping frenzy. However, this year's "Black Friday" performance in retail stores was not as explosive as expected, while the online shopping market set new historical records.

According to statistics from Mastercard and other data providers, this year, spending at U.S. retail stores on Black Friday only grew by 0.7%, showing a lackluster performance compared to previous years. Facteus data is even less optimistic, indicating a 5.4% decline in in-store sales. In contrast, U.S. e-commerce online sales surged by 14.6%, demonstrating that cost-conscious American consumers prefer online shopping.

Jonathan Chin, co-founder and data chief of Facteus, stated:

"When considering inflation, in-store (spending) is even lower."

Cost-Conscious Americans Flood Online Shopping Platforms

Mastercard economist Meyer stated, "A large portion of concentrated spending is primarily done online because, as a consumer, you have the greatest power and choice online."

Driven by massive discounts, online demand from consumers has surged. An Adobe report noted that e-commerce prices have fallen for 26 consecutive months, helping to save budgets and drive demand amid inflation.

Consumers particularly favored products such as toys, home appliances, and electronics, with toys seeing an average discount of 27.8%, and online toy sales skyrocketing by 622% compared to October. The average discounts for electronics and clothing reached 27.4% and 22.2%, respectively. However, health and beauty products, which had previously maintained stable sales, unexpectedly declined by 7.2% this year, down from 13.3% in the same period last year.

The performance of offline shopping was disappointing; according to RetailNext, nationwide store foot traffic decreased by 3.2% compared to last year. The Midwest was particularly affected by snowstorms, with foot traffic plummeting by 7%, while other regions saw declines of 3.5%, 3.2%, and 2.1%, respectively. Some consumers, facing higher living costs, chose to spread their purchases over the holiday period rather than concentrating them on Black Friday, which also lowered sales performance for physical stores.

Analysts pointed out that department store chains like Macy's, Kohl's, and Target, as well as large retailers like Best Buy, may see moderate sales growth this quarter, while e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart will profit . Data shows that in the seven days leading up to Friday, e-commerce retailers, including Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop, experienced strong year-on-year sales growth.

AI Drives Traffic to E-commerce Platforms

In the robust growth of online consumption, the application of artificial intelligence technology has played a significant role. According to an Adobe Analytics report, generative AI chatbots have driven a surge in retail website traffic, increasing by 1800% compared to last year. These tools simulate human conversation and can help shoppers quickly find discounts, compare products, and complete checkout, greatly enhancing the shopping experience for consumers Salesforce's data also shows that the usage of AI-driven online chat services on Black Friday increased by 31% year-on-year, with digital retailers using generative AI having a conversion rate 9% higher than those not using AI.

Vivek Pandya, Chief Analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, stated:

"As consumers become increasingly accustomed to everything from mobile shopping to chatbots, we have a tailwind driving online growth for 'Black Friday'."

Currently, as Cyber Monday approaches, the momentum for online shopping remains strong. Salesforce predicts that U.S. consumers will spend $13.5 billion online on this day, nearly $1 billion more than last year. Adobe estimates that the total online spending during the "Cyber Week" consisting of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday will reach $40.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7%