US online holiday sales to exceed $250 bn led by apparel sales: Adobe

The report—based on over 1 trillion retail visits and 100 million SKUs—highlighted rising mobile transactions, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) adoption, and AI-driven shopping behaviour.

Apparel remains a key driver of holiday spending, with projected online sales of $47.6 billion, up 4.4 per cent YoY. Competitive discounting—averaging 25 per cent off—is expected to fuel demand, particularly during Cyber Week, when Cyber Monday will offer the best deals on clothing and accessories. Shoppers are also expected to ‘trade up’ to higher-value items, prioritising quality and style over quantity.

Cyber Week is projected to contribute $43.7 billion (17.2 per cent of total spend, up 6.3 per cent YoY). Cyber Monday will remain the largest online shopping day at $14.2 billion, while Black Friday will grow faster—8.3 per cent YoY to $11.7 billion. Thanksgiving sales are estimated at $6.4 billion, up 4.9 per cent YoY.

BNPL services are expected to add $2 billion in incremental online sales, reaching $20.2 billion overall (up 11 per cent YoY), with 79 per cent of transactions occurring via mobile devices.

Generative AI will play a transformative role this season, with AI-driven traffic projected to grow 520 per cent YoY. Over one-third of US consumers already use AI tools for product research, recommendations, and deal-finding. Meanwhile, social commerce continues to accelerate, with sales from social platforms expected to climb 51 per cent YoY, underscoring the growing influence of digital engagement on purchase decisions.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (SG)