"AI-powered shopping tools surged by 805% during Black Friday 2025 compared to last year"
Yes — CNBC reported a surge in AI-driven shopping activity during Black Friday/Cyber Monday, but the figure was closer to 805%, not 680%. The number you saw likely came from a graphic summarizing consumer use of AI shopping tools.
Here’s the clarification:
What CNBC and others reported
- AI-powered shopping tools surged by 805% during Black Friday 2025 compared to last year.
- This refers to consumer-facing AI assistants (like Walmart’s Sparky and Amazon’s Rufus) that helped shoppers compare prices, find discounts, and get personalized recommendations.
- Adobe Analytics tracked over one trillion retail site visits and confirmed that AI-driven traffic to retail sites skyrocketed.
Impact on consumer spending
- U.S. online spending hit a record $11.8 billion on Black Friday.
- Nearly half of U.S. shoppers surveyed said they used or planned to use AI to assist with holiday purchases.
- Salesforce data suggested AI influenced $14.2 billion in global Black Friday online sales, including $3 billion in the U.S..
Why the surge happened
- Mainstream rollout of AI shopping assistants: 2025 was the first major holiday season where big retailers fully deployed AI tools.
- Tariff-driven price pressures: With inflation and tariffs raising prices, consumers leaned on AI to find better deals.
- Behavioral shift: Shoppers bought fewer items per transaction but at higher average prices, showing AI helped them target bigger-ticket items more efficiently.
Clarification on the numbers
- CNBC’s coverage highlighted the consumer AI usage spike.
- The 680% figure you saw may have been a simplified or rounded version of the 805% surge reported by Adobe and Reuters.
- The key takeaway: AI shopping assistants went mainstream this holiday season, driving unprecedented consumer adoption.
So Mike, the headline is real — AI usage in consumer shopping during Black Friday/Cyber Monday exploded, but the precise figure was 805% growth, not 680%. The CNBC graphic you saw was likely shorthand for this broader trend.
Would you like me to break down which retailers’ AI tools (Amazon, Walmart, etc.) gained the most traction, so you can see where the adoption is concentrated? |
