Adobe forecasted Cyber Monday 2025 will break record for online shopping. It did

As the long Thanksgiving break and Black Friday were about to end, businesses across the US were about to embark on the busiest online shopping spree of the year. Early data from Adobe Analytics suggested that Cyber Monday 2025 would result in peak sales and conclude a November that had already broken several online spending records, and they were right.

Shoppers spent $17.3 billion online on Cyber Monday, Salesforce data showed, capping the Black Friday weekend. Global online sales were up 5.3% through 12 p.m. ET (1700 GMT), according to the data firm. It expects online spending to rise 6% to $52.7 billion by the day's end. Meanwhile, U.S. online sales grew 2.6% to $3.4 billion through 12 p.m. ET, Salesforce said, adding it expects sales to grow 4% to $13.3 billion by the end of the day.

Days before, early data from Adobe Analytics suggested that Cyber Monday 2025 will result in peak sales and conclude a November that has already broken several online spending records.

Numbers for this year's November show that Americans spent $123.17 billion online in November, representing a 7.2% increase compared to the same period last year.

Adobe forecasts that with another round of sales coming up on Cyber Monday, total online holiday spending (from November 1st to December 31st) will reach $253.4 billion, making 2025 the first quarter-trillion-dollar holiday season.

One of the fastest-changing trends this year is the growth of AI-assisted shopping. Traffic to retailer websites from AI tools such as assistants has skyrocketed 770% since November last year. AI-powered shopping tools have surged over the holiday season, as consumers skipped busy stores and relied on chatbots to check prices and hunt for deals amid worries over tariff-driven cost increases.
Retailers say AI-driven shoppers mostly browse in goods categories such as gadgets, toys, and gaming.

Mobile shopping overtakes desktop

This year marks a milestone for online retail, as sales made through mobile devices have overtaken those made from desktops, making mobile screens the dominant platform for deal hunters. Shoppers spent $65.5bn via mobile in November, 7% more than at the same time last year.

“Adobe forecasts mobile revenue share to hit a record 56.1% this holiday season, while 7 in 10 retail site visits will take place on mobile devices,” it’s said in the company’s report.

Buy now, pay later rises

Consumers are also taking a greater interest in the “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) service – a shopping option popular among online buyers who prefer not to pay the full price immediately, but rather spread out payments, usually with some kind of interest rate.

Spending through BNPL reached $9 billion in November, representing an 8.6% increase compared to the same period last year. Adobe predicts that this payment method will bring in at least $20 billion. That’s 11% more than in 2024.

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