Americans’ insatiable appetite for deals drove online shopping on Black Friday to new heights, shattering previous records. According to data from Adobe Analytics, U.S. consumers spent $9.8 billion online on the day after Thanksgiving this year, marking a 7.5% jump over last year’s numbers.
Retail analysts attribute the blockbuster sales event to several intertwining factors. With many consumers still anxious about in-person shopping because of the pandemic, online shopping remains an attractive alternative. The stunning array of discounts and deals offered by retailers also succeeded in unlocking Americans’ wallets. And the convenience of online shopping likely played no small part either.
“Online shopping on Black Friday has grown exponentially in recent years for a number of reasons,” said Michelle Smith, a retail industry expert. “Of course, the pandemic accelerated existing trends of turning online for deals and steals during the kickoff of the holiday shopping season. But even as the pandemic fades, it’s clear American consumers enjoy the simplicity of browsing deals from the comfort of their homes and buying with just a click.”
The meteoric rise of e-commerce has forced traditional brick-and-mortar outlets to adapt to this changing landscape. As online goliaths like Amazon eat their lunch, stores must beef up their web presence and omni-channel capabilities in hopes of surviving the seismic shift in consumer preferences.
Meanwhile, the breaking of Black Friday online spending records continues a tradition in recent years, giving retailers hope for a vibrant holiday shopping season. But it also puts pressure on them to capture consumers’ attention in an increasingly frenzied and competitive sphere of online shopping.
