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On Cyber Monday, shoppers across the United States eagerly hunted for online discounts, driving impressive sales figures and concluding a five-day shopping period that began on Thanksgiving. According to Adobe Analytics, by 6:30 p.m. EST on Monday, consumers had spent $9.1 billion online, marking a 4.5 percent increase compared to the previous year. Adobe anticipates that the final Cyber Monday spending will reach between $13.9 billion and $14.2 billion, making it the biggest online shopping day of the year and setting new records for the holiday season.
The peak of online spending is expected between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time, with transactions flowing at an estimated $16 million per minute nationwide. Electronics and apparel emerged as the leading product categories during this event. The results align closely with Adobe’s earlier prediction of $14.2 billion spent on Cyber Monday, representing a 6.3 percent increase compared to 2024. During this shopping weekend, U.S. consumers already spent $11.8 billion on Black Friday, $6.4 billion on Thanksgiving Day, and an additional $11.8 billion over the weekend, all surpassing Adobe’s initial forecasts.
The overall five-day Cyber Week spending is projected to account for 17.2 percent of total online sales in the season, reaching $43.7 billion and reflecting a 6.3 percent increase year-over-year. Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, described Cyber Week as beginning strongly, with discounts expected to remain significant through Cyber Monday, which continues to be the largest online shopping day of the season and year.
Salesforce, a software company tracking digital retail activity, reported a robust start to Cyber Monday globally, with online sales reaching $17.3 billion by noon EST, a 5.3 percent increase over the previous year. In the U.S., sales hit $3.4 billion during the same period, up 2.6 percent, though the number of online orders declined slightly by 1 percent. Salesforce projects total global online sales for Cyber Monday to grow 6 percent year-over-year to $52.7 billion, with U.S. sales expected to increase by 4 percent to $13.3 billion. These figures were slightly below Salesforce’s original estimates.
While online spending is setting new records, rising retail prices may contribute to these high sales totals. Many consumers are purchasing fewer items but focusing on higher-value purchases and spreading their buying over multiple promotion days to maximize savings. Economic factors such as tariffs and job security concerns following corporate layoffs and the recent government shutdown are influencing shopper behavior.
For the entire November-December holiday season, the National Retail Federation forecasts that U.S. shoppers will spend over $1 trillion for the first time, although the growth rate is slowing compared to prior years. Increasing credit card debt and loan delinquencies, coupled with a rise in “buy now, pay later” plans, indicate changing consumer financing habits.
Mobile devices have become the dominant platform for holiday shopping, with Adobe estimating that smartphones, wearable technology, and other portable electronics will account for 58 percent of online spending this season. Artificial intelligence-powered shopping assistants are also impacting purchase decisions, with Salesforce attributing $14.2 billion of Black Friday’s global online sales to AI-driven services.
Originating in 2005, Cyber Monday was initially branded as the final opportunity for consumers to capitalize on post-Thanksgiving discounts. Over two decades, it has expanded into a weeklong event fueled by ongoing promotional campaigns, maintaining its position as a key driver of holiday consumer spending.
