Black Friday Sales: $78 billion storm is set to hit online shopping, tops Thanksgiving holiday business

Black Friday, which is the biggest day of the year for online shopping, is expected to drive $78 billion in online global sales and $18 billion in the U.S., according to Salesforce, a cloud-based software company. Thanksgiving and the day after, Black Friday, usher in the holiday shopping season, a critical stretch that typically delivers about a third of U.S. retailers' yearly sales and profits.

Online sales in the U.S. on the Thanksgiving holiday are expected to rise 6 per cent compared with last year to reach $8.6 billion, data from Salesforce showed on Thursday, suggesting shoppers were lapping up steep discounts from retailers to splurge amid tariff-induced macroeconomic uncertainty. As of 2 p.m. (ET), Thanksgiving spending in the U.S. was 5.8 per cent higher than at the same time last year, reaching $2.6 billion, the data showed, Reuters reported.

Global spending has reached $13.1 billion so far on Thanksgiving, and digital sales are expected to reach $36 billion globally by the end of Thursday, Salesforce data showed.


Earlier this week, electronics retailer Best Buy said its computers, laptops and smartphones on discount were in demand among holiday shoppers while clothing retailers Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch also seemed upbeat.

Latest results from American retailers have shown that shoppers are willing to buy gifts, electronics, clothes and more on good discounts, despite weak consumer sentiment overall.

This year's kickoff comes amid economic uncertainty and heightened volatility from President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported goods, which have raised costs for both retailers and consumers.

Several holiday sales forecasts projected this year's holiday season would be muted, with Mastercard data suggesting sales would be driven by promotions as consumers seek value for their money.

Salesforce in September projected U.S. online sales growth during the 2025 holiday season would slow from last year, with online spending between November 1 and December 31 expected to rise 2.1 per cent to $288 billion, versus a 4 per cent increase to $282 billion in the same period last year.

FAQs

Q1. When is Black Friday 2025?

A1. Black Friday 2025 is on November 28.

Q2. What do we know about ThanksGiving sales?

A2. Global spending has reached $13.1 billion so far on Thanksgiving, and digital sales are expected to reach $36 billion globally by the end of Thursday, Salesforce data showed.