Highlights:
-
Cyber Monday 2024 becomes the biggest online shopping day in history at $13.4 billion
-
Spending surpassed Black Friday’s $10.8 billion record
-
Mobile shopping accounted for $4.76 billion in sales
-
Buy Now, Pay Later usage crossed $1 billion in a single day
- Advertisement - -
Toy sales jumped 680 percent compared to an average October day
-
Adobe projects $240.8 billion in total online holiday spending
Cyber Monday 2024 officially became the biggest online shopping day in history, with total spending reaching $13.4 billion, according to Adobe Analytics. The final figure surpassed the company’s early estimate of $13.2 billion and broke the previous record set just days earlier on Black Friday, when online shoppers spent $10.8 billion.
By early evening on Cyber Monday, online buyers had already spent around $8.7 billion. Analysts at Adobe projected that shopping activity would continue to accelerate after work hours, and that prediction proved accurate.
During the peak shopping window between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern Time, consumers spent approximately $15.8 million per minute, slightly above Adobe’s forecast of $15.7 million per minute. The surge confirmed that Cyber Monday remains the most active online shopping day of the year.
Cyber Monday Discounts Continue to Drive Consumer Behavior
Despite major promotional events starting as early as Thanksgiving and Black Friday, many consumers still wait for Cyber Monday to make their biggest online purchases. Analysts say shoppers continue to view Cyber Monday as the most dependable sales event for digital purchases.
Adobe’s lead analyst, Vivek Pandya, said that shoppers continue to believe “Cyber Monday offers the strongest and most reliable discounts of the season.”
This perception helped sustain momentum throughout the day as buyers returned to online stores for additional purchases even after the earlier sale events had passed.
What Shoppers Bought on Cyber Monday
Sales were strong across multiple product categories during Cyber Monday. However, certain items saw significantly higher demand than others. The most popular products included:
-
Bluetooth headphones and speakers
-
Computers and laptops
-
Electric bikes and scooters
-
Gaming consoles, video games, and board games
-
Skin care products
-
Dolls, stuffed animals, and toys
-
Smart watches and jewellery
-
Clothing and gift cards
-
Televisions and patio heaters
Among all categories, toys emerged as the top-selling product group on Cyber Monday. Adobe reported that toy sales were 680 percent higher than an average day in October, highlighting the urgency among parents and holiday gift shoppers to secure items early.
Cyber Monday Sees Sharp Rise in Mobile Shopping
Mobile devices played a major role in Cyber Monday sales. While many shoppers continued using desktop computers at workplaces, mobile commerce reached a new milestone.
On Cyber Monday, 54.8 percent of all online sales came from mobile devices, totaling $4.76 billion in purchases. This marked nearly a 10 percent increase from 2023, reinforcing the growing role of smartphones in retail shopping behavior.
Retailers increasingly optimized websites for mobile navigation, faster checkout, and app-based purchasing, which contributed to the higher conversion rates.
Cyber Monday Drives Growth in Buy Now, Pay Later Services
The use of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services also surged on Cyber Monday. These payment plans allow customers to divide purchases into smaller installments instead of paying upfront.
Adobe reported that BNPL transactions reached approximately $1 billion on Cyber Monday alone. The most common products paired with BNPL included:
-
Electronics
-
Clothing
-
Video games
-
Grocery purchases
The growth of BNPL reflects changing consumer payment behavior, particularly during high-spending seasonal events such as Cyber Monday.
Social Media and AI Play Expanding Role in Cyber Monday Shopping
Two major digital forces influenced Cyber Monday sales this year: social media creators and artificial intelligence tools.
Adobe reported that influencer-driven content is seven times more effective at driving purchases than traditional social media posts. Shoppers increasingly rely on creator recommendations to compare prices, assess product quality, and track limited-time deals.
At the same time, the use of AI-powered chatbots increased significantly during Cyber Monday. Many shoppers used chat-based tools to locate deals, compare product features, and receive real-time shopping assistance.
Cyber Monday Powers Strong Cyber Week Performance
The impact of Cyber Monday extended across the entire five-day Cyber Week period, which runs from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. During that window, total online spending reached $41.1 billion, exceeding initial industry projections.
The performance of Cyber Monday played a central role in pushing the five-day total beyond expectations. Analysts now project that total online spending for the full holiday season could reach $240.8 billion.
While Cyber Monday itself has ended, Adobe noted that strong discounts on toys, electronics, clothing, and computers are expected to continue throughout December as retailers compete for late-season holiday shoppers.
Cyber Monday Confirms Long-Term Shift in Retail Behavior
The record-breaking performance of Cyber Monday 2024 confirms the continued shift toward online-first retail behavior. Strong discounting strategies, expanding mobile commerce, flexible payment options, and digital marketing channels have reshaped how consumers approach year-end shopping.
Retailers now view Cyber Monday not only as a promotional event but as a central driver of fourth-quarter revenue performance. With mobile usage, influencer marketing, and AI-based shopping assistance continuing to grow, future Cyber Monday events are expected to reach even higher spending levels.
