Black Friday witnesses a surge in U.S. online sales, reaching a historic high of $9.8 billion, marking a 7.5% increase from the previous year. Adobe Analytics attributes this spending boost to price-conscious consumers actively seeking the best deals and opting for online platforms for easy comparison of discounts.

Vivek Pandya, a lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, notes the emergence of a strategic consumer leveraging marquee days to maximize discounts. The spending spike on Black Friday indicates a more willing consumer compared to the previous year when high gas and food prices deterred expenditure.

Impulse purchases contribute to the growth, with $5.3 billion of online sales originating from mobile shopping. Social media influencers and advertising play a role in making consumers comfortable with mobile transactions. Despite increased spending, consumers remain price-sensitive due to last year's record inflation and interest rates.

Top-selling categories include electronics like smartwatches and televisions, toys, and gaming products. Adobe's survey highlights $79 million in sales through the 'Buy Now, Pay Later' flexible payment method, a 47% increase from the previous year.

While in-store sales rose slightly over 1%, online sales experienced over 8% growth compared to last year, according to a Mastercard analysis. The shift in the Black Friday experience is evident, with consumers favoring online shopping for easier price comparisons and securing better deals.

Retailers respond to the trend by announcing higher discounting levels and introducing pop-up promotions. Black Friday's momentum continues from Thanksgiving, with online sales totaling $5.6 billion. Adobe anticipates spending strength to persist through Cyber Monday, forecasting approximately $10 billion in online spending over the weekend and a record $12 billion on Cyber Monday.

However, spending is expected to taper off later in the holiday season as discounts decrease. Cyber Monday, being the last major deal day, could mark the final spike in spending on non-essential goods for the year. Gift-givers procrastinating holiday shopping may contribute to late December spending, but substantial growth occurs in November and Thanksgiving week.