U.S. online retail spending surged by $24.1 billion from July 8 to 11, a period dubbed “Black Friday in Summer,” exceeding Adobe Analytics’ forecast as shoppers eagerly took advantage of steep discounts on back-to-school items. Retailers saw a 30.3% increase in online sales during events including Amazon Prime Day, surpassing Adobe’s earlier projection of 28.4%.
Online retail sales a year ago during this period were $14.2 billion, marking an 11% rise this time. Prime Day has solidified its role as a key back-to-school shopping moment, with consumers grabbing early deals to prepare for the upcoming school season, Adobe noted.
Major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy launched extensive deal events offering significant discounts, encouraging shoppers to purchase higher-priced items they might normally avoid. Amazon extended its sales window to 96 hours, doubling the usual 48-hour timeframe, and ran aggressive promotions across categories like apparel and electronics.
This surge in deals comes amid ongoing trade tensions and tariff uncertainties under the Trump administration, as well as a looming August 1 deadline for renegotiations of trade agreements with the U.S.
Mobile shopping dominated the Prime Day event, accounting for 53.2% of online sales—above Adobe’s forecast of 52.5%. Discounts ranged from 11% to 24%, slightly wider than the previously forecast 10% to 24%. Apparel saw the largest discounts at 24%, up from 20% last year, while electronics held steady at a 23% discount, similar to the prior year.