Global Black Friday Online Sales Near $78 Billion, Salesforce Says

Salesforce estimated that online global sales for the Black Friday weekend reached roughly $78 billion, with U.S. consumers responsible for about $8.6 billion on Thanksgiving day and roughly $18 billion across the U.S. Black Friday period, according to a projection cited by The Economic Times. The figures represented modest growth compared with last year, reinforcing a pattern of expanding ecommerce activity even as retailers pushed deeper discounts to draw shoppers.

The forecast highlighted a mix of stronger traffic and tighter retailer profitability. Salesforce reported elevated online visitation, with mobile devices accounting for a growing share of purchases, a continuation of a multi year shift away from in store spending. Retailers leaned into discounts on consumer electronics and large appliances, categories that traditionally generate high ticket volumes but also squeeze gross margins when promotional intensity increases.

For the retail sector the numbers present a familiar trade off. Higher volumes can lift top line revenue at the critical year end shopping period, while sustained heavy discounting compresses margins and raises pressure on full year earnings. Publicly traded retailers who rely on holiday seasons for a significant share of annual profit will be watching gross margin trends closely as they finalize quarterly results and set guidance for 2026.

Logistics and delivery networks faced a corresponding surge in demand. Salesforce and accompanying industry commentary flagged increased strain on carriers and supply chains during the holiday peak, particularly in last mile fulfillment and same day deliveries. The spike in online orders amplified labor scheduling issues, capacity constraints for parcel networks, and inventory flow challenges for distribution centers. Those operational pressures translate into cost risk for retailers and potential service disruptions for consumers if carriers encounter breakdowns in throughput.

Macroeconomic context reinforced the nuanced picture. Consumer spending has remained resilient in the face of higher interest rates and persistent inflation, but shoppers continue to hunt bargains, intensifying competition among retailers. The reliance on discounts to stimulate demand may reflect both cautious consumer behavior and a strategic push by merchants to convert traffic into purchases before the season closes.

The longer term implications extend beyond a single weekend. The continued migration of holiday purchases to mobile platforms and online channels suggests structural change for retail real estate, employment in stores, and investment priorities for merchants and logistics providers. Policymakers and municipal planners confronted with rising delivery volumes will increasingly weigh infrastructure needs and labor policy responses, from curbside management to workforce protections in parcel industries.

As results from Thanksgiving and Black Friday flow into company earnings and delivery performance metrics, observers will assess whether the modest year on year growth signaled by Salesforce represents stabilization of online holiday spend or a plateau ahead of new growth drivers. For now the picture points to robust consumer appetite for deals, tighter margins for merchants, and intensifying operational demands on the entire retail supply chain.