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Friday, April 26, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Black Friday Online Sales Reach Record $7.4 Billion

Online retailers raked in a record $7.4 billion in Black Friday sales as more Americans opt to stay home and shop than fight the crowds at retail stores.

(CN) - Online retailers raked in a record $7.4 billion in Black Friday sales as more Americans opt to stay home and shop than fight the crowds at retail stores.

Adobe Analytics, which measures sales numbers of the top online retailers, found that a growing number of people are shopping on their cellphones, accounting for $2.9 billion of Friday's sales, representing 39% of online sales and 61% of online traffic.

Among the most popular gifts this year are Nerf and "Frozen 2" toys, Apple laptops and AirPods, Samsung TVs and sports video games "FIFA 20" and "Madden 20."

The increase in online sales has seen a drop in visits to retail stores. Traffic at physical locations dropped 2.1% from last year, according to RetailNext. The analytics company measures in-store activity across the country.

Not all sales were made simply online and offline. More consumers are buying their items online and then pick them up at the store, a shopping option that increased 43.2% this year, according to Adobe.

While Friday's online sales are a record, they fell short of last year's $7.9 billion in sales on Cyber Monday. Adobe is predicting this year's Cyber Monday sales will be even bigger at $9.4 billion.

Categories / Business, Consumers, National

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