Overall spending on Friday rose 3.4% year-over-year, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which excludes automotive sales and is not adjusted for inflation. From Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, spending in stores and online is expected to be up 3.2% year-over-year, according to its earlier estimates.

Online brands saw big growth on Black Friday, but it came at the expense of in-store shopping. The extended promotional period also hurt Black Friday.

U.S. consumers spent nearly $11 billion online on Black Friday, shattering a record this holiday season, with Mastercard saying retail sales jumped 3.4 percent from last year. An NBC News price analysis also revealed that the cost of goods like tech gadgets to toys were at the lowest prices since at least July.

Black Friday sales grew at a faster pace in the US this year, underscoring that choosy consumers are still opening up their wallets when they find the right products.

Discount hunters searching for Black Friday deals have officially kicked off the holiday shopping season. Consumers are forecasted to break spending records in 2024, with the average person expected to spend a little over $1,000, up 14% from last year, according to data from RetailMeNot.

Easing interest rates and inflation, the threat of looming tariffs, as well as a heavy dose of holiday spirits, is having Americans going shopping in record numbers this year. According to the National Retail Federation,

Shoppers spent a whopping $10.8 billion online on Black Friday, according to Adobe Analytics. The total for Cyber Week could be nearly four times that amount.

Adobe reports $7.9 billion in online spending on Black Friday, up 8.2% from 2023, and expects final online numbers between $10.7 and $11 billion.

People were eager to see stores' Black Friday discounts, often comparing them to rivals' prices for similar merchandise online. Weighing on the minds of many Americans: Should prices rise in 2025 as a result of Trump's move to implement new tariffs on some U.