American shoppers spend about $11.8 billion online on Black Friday, and the average Thanksgiving weekend budget is close to $338 per person.
What Black Friday Spending Really Means
Ask ten people how much Americans spend on Black Friday and you will hear ten different answers. Some quote a number for online sales only, some fold in the whole Thanksgiving weekend, and some mix Black Friday in with total holiday spending from November through December.
Research firms such as Adobe Analytics track online receipts, while groups like the National Retail Federation survey shoppers about their plans and their actual spending. Adobe estimates that U.S. consumers spent about $11.8 billion online on Black Friday 2025 alone. The retail federation reports that shoppers who went out over the full Thanksgiving weekend spent an average of $337.86 on gifts, clothing, decorations, and other seasonal items.
Those numbers describe different slices of the same shopping wave. One covers online checkouts in a single day. The other shows what a typical person spent across several days, both online and in stores. When people search for how much Americans spend on Black Friday, they usually want both the giant national total and the kind of budget a regular household sets aside.
| Measure | Latest Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online spend on Black Friday (U.S.) | $11.8 billion | Adobe estimate, 2025 online sales |
| Online spend on Black Friday (U.S.) in 2024 | $10.8 billion | Adobe estimate, 2024 online sales |
| Shoppers over Thanksgiving weekend | About 203 million | Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday |
| Average spend per shopper that weekend | $337.86 | Holiday gifts, clothing, decor, more |
| Share of weekend spend on gifts | 67% | About $226 of the average budget |
| Planned average holiday spend per person | $890.49 | All November and December holiday spend |
| Share of holiday online spend in Cyber Week | About 17% | Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday |
Average Black Friday Budget Per American
The most practical way to answer the question is to look at what a typical shopper sets aside for the long weekend. Survey data shows that nearly every person who shops between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday buys at least one holiday related item, and the average outlay across the weekend now sits just under $340.
If you spread that weekend budget across several days, Black Friday tends to get the largest slice. Retailers still push many of their biggest doorbuster deals on that Friday, and shoppers wait for those offers before buying electronics, toys, and big household items. Even if each household spends only part of its holiday budget that day, multiplying a fraction of $337.86 by more than 200 million shoppers still adds up to tens of billions of dollars.
The higher seasonal figure of $890.49 per person shows that Black Friday is not an isolated shopping event. It sits inside a long stretch of spending that covers November and December, with Black Friday weekend acting as a kickoff for large purchases. Many families use the day to lock in bigger items while planning to finish smaller gifts later in December.
Holiday Budget Versus Black Friday Splurge
The gap between a $338 weekend budget and an $890 holiday budget tells you that most Americans do not burn through their full allowance on Black Friday. Early discounts start before Thanksgiving, and more sales run through December, so spending gets spread around. Still, the day carries weight because retailers cluster limited time offers into a short window.
For context on how large the national totals have become, the NRF Thanksgiving weekend survey reports record numbers of people in stores and online, while Adobe holiday spending data shows record online receipts across Cyber Week as a whole.
How Much Do Americans Spend On Black Friday? By Income Group
Not every American faces Black Friday with the same budget. Higher income households account for a large share of the dollars spent, especially on electronics, luxury goods, and large home items. News reports on the 2025 season describe higher earners leaning on stock portfolios and home equity to keep spending even when they feel cautious about the broader economy.
Middle income shoppers tend to split their budgets between practical items and gifts. That might mean upgrading a work laptop, grabbing winter clothing on sale, and picking up toys for children all in the same cart. Their total Black Friday spend can look similar to higher earners in dollar terms, yet it makes up a larger share of the monthly budget.
Lower income households often feel much more pressure during the holidays. Rising prices for groceries, rent, and utilities eat into the money that could go to retail sales. Surveys and bank data show more use of store credit cards and buy now, pay later plans among shoppers with tighter budgets, especially during Cyber Week. Many of these shoppers still want to take part in the Black Friday rush, but they may cap their spending early or focus almost entirely on basic gifts and winter needs.
Credit, Debt, And Black Friday Choices
For many households, the answer to how much do americans spend on black friday? depends on how much room they have on their credit lines. Data providers report rising use of installment payment plans at big retailers and online platforms during Black Friday, which can spread purchases over several months but also add fees or interest if bills are not paid on time.
Financial counselors often suggest setting a firm holiday budget well before Thanksgiving and agreeing on limits with family members. A clear ceiling makes it easier to decide whether a Black Friday discount is worth it, especially if a deal tempts you to open a new store card or carry a balance at a high rate. Extra payments can linger for months and crowd out everyday expenses long after the sale signs come down.
American Black Friday Spending By Age And Channel
Age plays a clear role in Black Friday spending patterns. Surveys show that younger adults, especially Gen Z, are more likely to shop at some point over the Thanksgiving weekend and more inclined to buy gifts rather than household basics, often through mobile apps and social media deals. Older shoppers tend to take a more targeted approach, logging on or heading in only for specific items they have been watching, yet both groups now mix online and in store trips far more than they once did.
Online Versus In Store Sales
Online receipts on Black Friday have risen fast over the past few years. Adobe reports that U.S. consumers spent $9.12 billion online in 2022, about $9.8 billion in 2023, $10.8 billion in 2024, and $11.8 billion in 2025. Growth has averaged in the mid single digits to low double digits each year, even as shoppers juggle inflation and higher borrowing costs.
In store sales have been steadier. Data from card networks such as Mastercard shows overall Black Friday retail sales rising a few percentage points year over year, but foot traffic at malls and big box stores has not matched the peak years of wall to wall crowds. Many shoppers now scout deals online early in November, then decide whether they even need to visit a store on Black Friday itself.
At the same time, online and offline are starting to blend together. Shoppers might buy online and pick up in store, scan barcodes in the aisle to check prices on other sites, or place mobile orders for curbside pickup to avoid long lines. From a spending perspective, retailers and analysts now treat Black Friday as both an online event and a store event happening at once.
| Year | Online Spend | Change From Prior Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $9.12 billion | +2.3% year over year |
| 2023 | $9.8 billion | +7.5% year over year |
| 2024 | $10.8 billion | +10.2% year over year |
| 2025 | $11.8 billion | +9.1% year over year |
What Drives Black Friday Spending Changes
Black Friday spending shifts from year to year as prices, wages, and discount patterns change. When inflation runs hot, shoppers may spend more dollars while taking home fewer items. When wage growth outpaces price growth, budgets can stretch further and people may feel freer to treat themselves or upgrade devices.
The growth of AI shopping tools adds another twist. Retailers now use recommendation engines and chat assistants to show targeted deals and nudge shoppers toward certain products. That can raise the share of visitors who complete a purchase, and it helps explain why online receipts keep climbing even when store traffic looks flat or mixed.
Black Friday spending statistics also sit inside a longer calendar of sales. Early deals pop up in the first half of November, and heavy discount periods run across Cyber Week. Some spending that once landed on a single day now spreads across several weeks, even if the Black Friday label still grabs the headlines.
What These Black Friday Spending Numbers Mean For You
Knowing how much do americans spend on black friday? can help you decide what you want the day to look like in your own household. You do not have to match a national average or chase every sale. A clear budget that lines up with your income, savings goals, and gift list matters more than hitting the same dollar figure as your peers.
One simple approach is to start with your total holiday budget, set a cap for the Thanksgiving weekend, and then decide how much of that cap you are willing to commit on Black Friday itself. Many shoppers stick to a short list of priority items and ignore impulse buys outside that list, even when banners shout about limited time offers or countdown clocks.
Seen through that lens, Black Friday spending statistics stop feeling like a scoreboard and turn into a simple reference point for setting your own plans. You can treat the big totals as background, not targets you must personally match. That matters for you.