Shoppers Prefer Phones Over Stores This Black Friday

This year, Black Friday saw a big change in how people shopped. Instead of heading to stores, many Americans chose to shop online using their phones and computers. Stores didn't see much growth in sales, only about 0. 7% more than last year. But online sales jumped by a whopping 14. 6%! A data firm called Facteus even said that store sales dropped by 5. 4% when you consider inflation. This means that even though prices went up, people spent less in stores. Online sales grew by 11. 1% even after accounting for higher prices. Corey Coscioni, a 58-year-old shopper, was looking for deals both online and in Chicago stores. He said he was buying gifts for his family and himself. People like Corey were just waiting for the best deals online and avoiding long store lines. Big stores like Macy's, Kohl's, and Target might not do as well this holiday season because the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is shorter this year. Only 26 days! Meanwhile, online giants like Amazon and Walmart might gain more customers. Overall, Americans spent about 3. 4% more on Black Friday compared to last year. From November 1 to December 24, spending is expected to rise by 3. 2%. Adobe reported that Americans spent around $10. 8 billion online on Black Friday, a 10. 2% increase from last year. Gadgets like bluetooth speakers and espresso machines were big sellers. Salesforce also found that US online sales grew by 7% to $17. 5 billion. People bought more home appliances and furniture online too.