AI Powers Record-Breaking Black Friday 2025: $11.8B Spent Online in the U.S.

Black Friday remains the global e-commerce compass — and this year, the U.S. results show just how powerful that compas still is. On 28 November 2025, U.S. shoppers spent a whopping $11.8 billion online — the highest total ever recorded for a Black Friday and a 9.1% increase year-over-year.

In the busiest hours (roughly 10:00–14:00), Americans were spending about $12.5 million per minute. That kind of pace speaks volumes about how resilient and dynamic e-commerce remains — even amid economic uncertainty.

AI isn’t a gimmick anymore — it’s the engine moving today’s e-commerce

The biggest story behind these numbers? AI. According to the data, traffic driven by AI-powered tools surged by 805% compared to last year. That’s not a small promotional bump — it’s a structural shift.

For major retailers — from big-box players to sellers on platforms powered by Shopify — AI-powered features like:

  • smart shopping assistants,

  • personalized product recommendations,

  • advanced search & dynamic pricing

… have become game-changers.

Salesforce estimates that global e-commerce generated $14.2 billion in revenue from AI-driven sales during Black Friday alone. In the U.S. more than half of online purchases — roughly $6.5 billion — occurred on mobile devices.

For European sellers — including those in Poland exporting to Germany, France or beyond — the message is loud and clear: AI is not a future nice-to-have. It’s becoming the baseline expectation.

Buying fewer items — but paying more per item

Interestingly, while total spending surged, consumers were buying fewer items per order (about 1–2% less than last year). At the same time, average order values rose about 7%.

Why? A mix of factors: inflation, higher import costs (especially on goods from Asia), and less aggressive discounts compared to 2024.

What it means for sellers: shoppers are becoming more selective. They want value they can justify, not just “a good deal.” Especially in markets like Germany, where clarity, quality and transparency matter, this trend will likely accelerate.

If you’re selling cross-border, now is the time to sharpen your product positioning, showcase what makes your offer worth the price, and rethink discount strategies.

Online keeps winning over offline — mobile & BNPL leading the shift

According to Mastercard and market data:

  • Online sales on Black Friday rose +10.4%,

  • While brick-and-mortar stores crawled along with only +1.7% growth.

In parallel, November’s total U.S. online sales (1–28 Nov) hit $111.4 billion (+7.1%), with 52% of transactions made on mobile devices.

Also notable: Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is booming — in early November alone U.S. customers spent $8.2 billion using BNPL. Some forecasts point to $20 billion+ by year-end.

BNPL is already becoming a standard checkout option in Europe. If your cross-border shop doesn’t offer it yet — you may risk losing customers.

Source: ceo.com.pl