Dec 1 (Reuters) - U.S. consumers are expected to spend $14.2 billion on Cyber Monday, according to Adobe Analytics, set to build on strong Black Friday momentum as AI-powered shopping tools drive online sales.
Americans will spend 6.3% more online from a year earlier on Cyber Monday, traditionally seen as the country's biggest online shopping day, marking the culmination of the Thanksgiving shopping weekend.
U.S. online spending on Black Friday hit a record $11.8 billion, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks 1 trillion visits that shoppers make to online retail websites. Consumers switched to chatbots to compare prices and secure discounts amid concerns about tariff-driven price hikes.
"AI is the ultimate purchase accelerator, guiding consumers with clear intent straight to the buy button," said Caila Schwartz, director of Consumer Insights at Salesforce.
Over half of the online spending on Cyber Monday is expected to be driven by three categories - electronics, apparel and furniture - according to Adobe, with Americans looking to get their holiday shopping completed.
This year's holiday season has seen retailers become more careful with discounts, while also launching early promotions to lock in sales. Walmart's sales began on November 14 and will run in three phases through December 1, with Walmart+ members getting early access.
Retailers have also doubled down on using artificial intelligence to lure shoppers. The AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail sites is expected to increase by 670% compared to last year, Adobe said, when artificial intelligence tools such as Walmart's Sparky or Amazon's Rufus had not yet been launched.
(Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Sriraj Kalluvila)
