Dec. 3 2025 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
Black Friday gained billions of dollars in revenue this year. E-commerce tracker Adobe Analytics recorded $11.8 billion in online sales, a 9.1% increase from 2024 and $12.5 million spent by Americans every minute between local times of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Similarly, Cyber Monday saw $14.25 billion in profit, according to global news agency Reuters.
The National Retail Federation predicted that retail sales in November and December will reach $1 trillion in 2025, the highest to date. They noted the uncertainty of shoppers, but affirmed shoppers “remain fundamentally strong and continue to drive U.S. economic activity,” according to NRF President Matthew Shay.
Chief economist for the NRF, Mark Matthews, said, “The economy has continued to show surprising resilience in a year marked by trade uncertainty and persistent inflation.”
Economic advisor to the White House and director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, stated that Black Friday sales proved increased income for Americans under the Trump administration.
Other research indicated that Americans spent more but bought less due to rising costs and restrictive discounts. Salesforce reported order volumes falling by 1% while selling prices were up by 7%, as well as units per transaction declining 2%, indicating fewer sales and higher costs.
RetailNext, a retail analytics provider, noted a 5.3% decline in in-store shopping year-over-year for Black Friday and the following Saturday. The majority of profit occurred online, proven by the closure of around an average of 1,100 malls per year from 2017 to 2022 as they face less in-person profit, contrasting with the climbing success of virtual stores.
Online, X, formerly known as Twitter, had users reporting on Black Friday spending and activity. One post, from @WallStreetApes, tallied more than 47,000 likes for indicating proof that the craft store Michaels “doubled the price of items and called it a Black Friday sale.”
In the comments, user @LanieASassyVet reported how an item they’d been watching on Amazon suddenly changed to indicate a Cyber Monday deal without dropping the price.
Discussions around the economic status of the U.S. have risen online and offline, questioning the integrity of Black Friday and Cyber Monday as industries rake in billions in revenue but customers walk away with less in their hands than they have historically.
In fact, many Americans have participated in a mass black-out of no corporate spending, spanning Nov. 28 through Dec. 5, mainly against Amazon, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Disney, Macy’s and Nordstrom’s, building off of previous boycotts against Starbucks and Disney from earlier this year. On Instagram, @commonsearth stated, “Choose brands that align with your values” — pursuing the conversation surrounding ethical spending for the holidays and corporate greed.
Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu
