In the United States, consumers browse the Internet for online offers as they look to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon with Cyber ​​Monday.

Even though e-commerce has become an integral part of many people’s daily lives and the holiday shopping periodCyber ​​Monday – a term coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation – has become the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and hype the industry has created for it. feed.

Adobe Analytics, which follows online shoppingexpects consumers to spend a record $13.2 billion on Monday, 6.1% more than last year. That would make it the biggest shopping day of the season – and year – for e-commerce.

For several large retailers, a Cyber ​​Monday sale is a one-day event that began over the Thanksgiving weekend. Amazon launched its sales event Saturday just after midnight Pacific Time. Target’s two days of discount deals on its website and app began Sunday night. Walmart rolled out its Cyber ​​Monday deals for Walmart+ members on Sunday afternoon and opened them to all customers three hours later at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Consumer spending during Cyber ​​Week – the five major shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber ​​Monday – provides a good indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend on vacation.

Many U.S. consumers continue to experience sticker shock post-pandemic. inflation who left prices of many goods and services higher than three years ago. But retail sales nevertheless remained strong and the economy continued to grow at a healthy pace.

At the same time, credit card debts and unpaid bills have increased. More and more buyers are also poised to use Buy now, pay later plans this holiday season, allowing them to delay payments on holiday decor, gifts and other items.

Many economists have also warned that President-elect Donald Trump’s plan impose tariffs next year on foreign products entering the United States lead to higher prices on everything from food to clothing to automobiles.

The National Retail Federation expects holiday shoppers to spend more this year, both in stores and online, than last year. But the pace of spending growth will slow slightly, the trade group said, with growth of 2.5% to 3.5%, compared to 3.9% in 2023.

A clear picture of consumer spending habits during the holiday season won’t be felt until the government releases sales data for the period, although preliminary data from other sources shows encouraging signs for retailers.

U.S. shoppers spent $10.8 billion online on Black Friday, an increase of 10.2% from last year, according to Adobe Analytics. It’s also more than double what consumers spent in 2017, when Black Friday generated around $5 billion in online sales. Consumers also spent a record $6.1 billion online on Thanksgiving, Adobe said.

Software company Salesforce, which also tracks online shopping, estimated that Black Friday online sales totaled $17.5 billion in the United States and $74.4 billion worldwide.

E-commerce platform Shopify said its merchants achieved a record $5 billion in sales globally on Black Friday. At its peak, sales reached $4.6 million per minute – with top categories by volume including clothing, cosmetics and fitness products, according to the Canadian company.

The toys, electronics, home goods, personal care and beauty categories were among the top drivers of holiday spending on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to Adobe. “Hot products” included Lego sets, espresso machines, fitness trackers, makeup and skin care.

Other data showed that physical stores saw fewer customers on Black Friday, highlighting how the huge crowds that were once synonymous with the day after Thanksgiving are now more than happy to shop from the comfort of their homes .

RetailNext, which measures real-time foot traffic in stores, reported that its initial data showed that store traffic on Friday was down 3.2% in the United States from last year, the most sharp decline occurring in the Midwest.

Sensormatic Solutions, which also tracks store traffic, said its preliminary analysis showed retail store traffic on Black Friday was down 8.2% compared to 2023.

Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions, noted that in-store traffic was spread across multiple days as many retailers offered generous discounts before and after Black Friday.

“Some of the extended Black Friday promotions ended up leading to a somewhat softer traffic day than expected,” Gustafson said.

Although physical items like toys and electronics are still popular during the holidays, experts note that consumers have shifted toward “more experience-driven spending” in recent years, particularly as the pandemic of COVID-19 has subsided.

Jie Zhang, a marketing professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, told the Associated Press ahead of the post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend that he expected shoppers ” treat themselves a little more” when it comes to personal gifts. .

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AP Business Writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips contributed to this report from New York.