By Aijaz Alam
How much do Americans spend on holiday shopping online?
US shoppers spent $257.8 billion online from 1 November to 31 December 2025, up 6.8% on 2024, according to Adobe Analytics (vendor data). All US holiday retail sales, online and in stores, were $972 billion, up 3.1% (NRF, core retail). Cyber Monday was the biggest day at $14.25 billion, and 56.4% of online sales were made on smartphones.
- $257.8BUS online holiday spending, 1 Nov to 31 Dec, up 6.8%Adobe Analytics (vendor), 2025
- $972BUS holiday retail sales in November and December, online and in stores, up 3.1%NRF, core retail, 2025
- $14.25BSpent online on Cyber Monday, the biggest day of the seasonAdobe Analytics, 2025
- 56.4%Online holiday transactions made on a smartphoneAdobe Analytics, 2025
- $20BOnline holiday spending paid with buy now, pay laterAdobe Analytics, 2025
- $1.013TNRF forecast for 2026 holiday retail sales, up 4.2%NRF, 15 Oct 2026
The numbers
The full breakdown
US holiday season 2025 at a glance (1 Nov to 31 Dec)
| Measure | 2025 | Change on 2024 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday retail sales, online and in stores (core retail) | $972B | +3.1% | NRF |
| Online spending | $257.8B | +6.8% | Adobe Analytics |
| Online spending paid with buy now, pay later | $20B | +9.8% | Adobe Analytics |
| Share of online transactions made on a smartphone | 56.4% | 54.5% in 2024 | Adobe Analytics |
| Days with more than $4 billion spent online | 25 | 18 days in 2024 | Adobe Analytics |
| Online orders using curbside pickup, where offered | 17.1% | 17.5% in 2024 | Adobe Analytics |
NRF counts retail sales from Census data and leaves out car dealers, gas stations and restaurants. Adobe measures online sales at US retail sites it tracks (over 1 trillion visits, 100 million products, 18 categories).
US online spending on the biggest shopping days, 2025
| Day or period | Online spending | Change on 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber Monday | $14.25B | +7.1% |
| Black Friday | $11.8B | +9.1% |
| Thanksgiving Day | $6.4B | +5.3% |
| Cyber Week (Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, five days) | $44.2B | +7.7% |
| Buy now, pay later on Cyber Monday | $1.03B | +4.2% |
Adobe Analytics, release of 7 Jan 2026. Cyber Monday was the biggest online shopping day of the season and of the year.
US online holiday spending by category, 2025
| Category | Online spending | Change on 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Electronics | $59.8B | +8.2% |
| Apparel | $49.0B | +7.4% |
| Furniture | $31.1B | +6.6% |
| Groceries | $23.7B | +10.2% |
| Toys | $8.8B | +7.8% |
| Cosmetics | $8.4B | +9.3% |
| Sporting goods | $8.4B | +7.7% |
Electronics, apparel and furniture made up over half (54%) of the $257.8 billion. Adobe does not list every category.
Why sources differ
Same question, different answers
| Number | When | Who measured | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| $972B (+3.1%) | Nov-Dec 2025, stated 15 Oct 2026 | NRF | All core retail sales in November and December, online and in stores, from Census data; leaves out cars, gas and restaurants |
| +4.1% | Nov-Dec 2025, read 12 Jan 2026 | NRF, CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor | Retail Monitor, from credit and debit card data (not Census data); a different measure from the $972B |
| $257.8B (+6.8%) | 1 Nov to 31 Dec 2025 | Adobe Analytics (vendor) | Online spending only, measured at the retail sites Adobe tracks |
| $318.0B | Q4 2025 (Oct-Dec) | US Census Bureau | All US retail e-commerce in the quarter, seasonally adjusted, so it includes October and removes the holiday peak |
| $1.013T (+4.2%) | Nov-Dec 2026 forecast | NRF | Forecast for the 2026 season, not a result |
Holiday spending figures differ because they measure different things over different periods.
NRF's $972 billion is all core retail sales in November and December, online and in stores, built from Census data. It leaves out car dealers, gas stations and restaurants, and it includes everyday purchases such as groceries, not only gifts. NRF's January read from the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, which uses credit and debit card data rather than Census data, put growth at 4.1%; the Census-based figure NRF gave in October 2026 is 3.1%. They are two different measures, not a revision of one number.
Adobe's $257.8 billion is online spending only, measured on the retail sites that use Adobe Analytics. It is vendor data with its own coverage, so it is not a share of NRF's total, and the two growth rates are not directly comparable.
The Census Bureau's quarterly e-commerce figure covers October to December and is seasonally adjusted, which removes the holiday peak on purpose. Use it for trends across the year, not for the size of the holiday season.
Forecasts are another source of confusion. NRF's $1.013 trillion for 2026 is a forecast published in October 2026; it should not be quoted as a result.
What it means
How to use these numbers
The US holiday season is large and still growing, and online is growing faster. Online spending rose 6.8% in 2025 by Adobe's count, while all core retail grew 3.1% by NRF's. The two are measured differently, but both point the same way.
The season is concentrated in a few days. Cyber Week, the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, brought in $44.2 billion online, about a sixth of the season's online total. Black Friday grew faster online than Cyber Monday in 2025, a sign that shoppers buy earlier when deals start earlier.
The phone is now the main checkout. 56.4% of online holiday transactions happened on a smartphone, and 82.2% of buy now, pay later purchases did. A slow or awkward mobile checkout puts more than half of online holiday orders at risk.
For retailers planning a season, the useful numbers are the growth rates and the calendar: when the big days fall, and which categories grew fastest.
Method and sources
How it was measured
Method
- NRF
- National Retail Federation, holiday forecast release of 15 Oct 2026; Nov 1 to Dec 31 retail sales from Census data, excluding car dealers, gas stations and restaurants; nominal, not inflation adjusted
- Adobe
- Adobe Analytics, release of 7 Jan 2026; online transactions at US retail sites, over 1 trillion visits, 100 million products, 18 categories; vendor data
- US Census Bureau
- Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, Q4 2025, seasonally adjusted
- Period
- 1 November to 31 December 2025
- Last changed
- 31 Oct 2026
- Data files
- CSV · JSON (stable links)
Sources
- Adobe Digital Insights / Adobe Analytics press releases, Adobe Vendor data
- NRF holiday forecast and CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, National Retail Federation Industry body
- Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, US Census Bureau Official data
Cite this page
APA
MLA
HTML link
FAQ
More questions people ask
How much did Americans spend online on Cyber Monday 2025?
$14.25 billion, up 7.1% on 2024 and the biggest online shopping day of the year (Adobe Analytics).
How much did Americans spend online on Black Friday 2025?
$11.8 billion, up 9.1%, faster growth than Cyber Monday as shoppers took earlier deals (Adobe Analytics).
What share of yearly retail sales happens in the holidays?
NRF says November and December have averaged about 19% of total annual retail sales over the past five years.
What does NRF expect for the 2026 holiday season?
NRF forecasts November and December 2026 retail sales of $1.013 trillion, up 4.2% on 2025. It is a forecast, published 15 Oct 2026.
Every number on this page was checked at its original source (Adobe, National Retail Federation, US Census Bureau). Free to cite with a link to this page.