E-commerce is experiencing a robust start to the holiday shopping season, with Thanksgiving online sales showing promising growth.
Salesforce Data:
- Global online sales increased by 7%, reaching $15.6 billion.
- U.S. online sales rose by 4%, totaling $3.1 billion.
- These figures mark a significant improvement over the sluggish 1% growth observed in 2023.
Retailers are offering attractive discounts to entice shoppers, averaging 24% globally and 27% in the U.S. Mobile shopping is particularly prominent on Thanksgiving Day, with Salesforce predicting 73% of sales originating from mobile devices. The peak buying period is anticipated between 7 pm and midnight.
Cyber Week Trends:
- Cyber Week, encompassing sales starting before Thanksgiving, has also seen positive growth.
- Global sales are up 7%, while U.S. sales show a stronger 14% increase.
Generative AI is playing a growing role in e-commerce, with a 32% increase in retailer usage of AI tools compared to the previous week. However, the actual impact of AI on sales conversions remains to be seen. For more Black Friday deals, check out Apple's Black Friday 2024 deals, or find the best Black Friday MacBook deals here.
Expert Commentary:
Caila Schwartz, Director of Consumer Insights at Salesforce, notes the rising online traffic and sales, highlighting the shift towards mobile shopping as consumers seek the best holiday deals. For additional tech deals, explore Black Friday & Thanksgiving tech deals.