American consumers demonstrated their unwavering appetite for holiday bargains on Black Friday, delivering a stunning rebuke to economic pessimism as they unleashed a record-breaking $11.8 billion spending spree online, according to new data that underscores the enduring power of the nation’s premier shopping event.
The eye-popping figure, tracked by Adobe Analytics through its comprehensive e-commerce monitoring system, represents a robust 9.1 percent surge compared to last year’s Black Friday performance—a remarkable achievement given the economic headwinds that have dominated headlines throughout 2025.
The shopping frenzy reached fever pitch during the critical four-hour window between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. across all time zones, when digital cash registers rang up an extraordinary $12.5 million every single minute. This intense burst of consumer activity highlights how Americans have refined their deal-hunting strategies, concentrating their purchasing power during peak discount periods.
The massive spending surge comes as a welcome surprise to retailers and economists who had braced for a more subdued holiday shopping season amid persistent inflation concerns and broader economic uncertainty. Instead, Black Friday 2025 has emerged as a powerful testament to consumer resilience and pent-up demand for holiday merchandise.
Physical retail locations also witnessed impressive crowds, with shopping centers nationwide reporting steady streams of bargain hunters despite the continued shift toward digital commerce. The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, exemplified this trend as shoppers navigated packed corridors in pursuit of doorbusting deals across multiple retail categories.
This year’s performance suggests that American consumers have adapted their spending habits rather than retreating from the marketplace entirely. The record-breaking online figures indicate that while shoppers remain price-conscious, they’re willing to open their wallets when presented with compelling value propositions.
The robust Black Friday results set an optimistic tone for the remainder of the holiday shopping season, providing retailers with crucial momentum as they head into Cyber Monday and the final weeks leading up to Christmas. Industry analysts will be closely monitoring whether this early surge can sustain itself through the traditionally critical December shopping period.
