Cold streets, hot sales: How much did US consumers rack up online on Black Friday?

US consumers spent $8.6 billion online on Black Friday sale, according to a report from Adobe Analytics, as more shoppers opted to browse deals via laptops and smartphones rather than face the cold to hunt bargains in stores.

Online spending rose 9.4% by 6:30 pm ET (11:30 GMT) on Black Friday compared with last year, Adobe said. The company, which analyses e-commerce transactions across more than one trillion visits to US retail websites, tracks trends across the country’s holiday shopping period.

Despite expectations that stores would see heavy footfall, many shoppers were cautious on Friday morning, concerned about overspending amid persistent inflation, uncertainty over trade policies, and a soft labour market.

Adobe expects total online spending for the day to reach between $11.7 billion and $11.9 billion, potentially setting a new record for Black Friday sales. The firm also forecast continued strong online activity over the weekend, with consumers projected to spend $5.5 billion on Saturday, up 3.8% from last year, and $5.9 billion on Sunday, a rise of 5.4%, as retailers maintain generous discounts.

Looking ahead, Cyber Monday is expected to be the biggest online shopping day of the season, with spending projected to reach $14.2 billion, a 6.3% increase from last year.

Earlier forecasts from Adobe had predicted Black Friday online sales would rise 8.3% to $11.7 billion, reflecting expectations of slower growth in US holiday e-commerce compared with previous years.