US online sales soar $24 billion on deep discounts, says Adobe

Online shopping in the United States surged by over $24 billion during a four-day sales blitz this week, as major retailers rolled out aggressive discounts in a bid to lure back-to-school shoppers, according to new data released by Adobe Analytics and reported by Reuters.

Adobe said US consumers spent a total of $24.1 billion online between July 8 and 11, a period branded by many retailers as “Black Friday in Summer”—outstripping even Adobe’s own forecast for the sales event. The spending spike reflected year-on-year growth of 30.3 per cent for the promotional window, surpassing expectations of 28.4 per cent, as per Reuters.

The sales event included Amazon’s Prime Day, which has firmly established itself as a major “back-to-school” shopping milestone. As quoted by Reuters, Adobe noted that shoppers were eager to secure early deals on school supplies and other essentials, trying to get ahead of the seasonal rush.

Prime Day, extended sales windows fuel surge

Amazon.com led the charge by extending its Prime Day sale from the usual 48 hours to 96 hours this year, offering deep discounts across categories from clothing to electronics. According to Reuters, this extended sales window helped maintain shopper interest for longer and drove up overall sales volumes.

Retail heavyweights including Walmart, Target and Best Buy also launched their own rival promotions during the same period, intensifying the competition and helping fuel a broader industry-wide boom in online spending.

Adobe said overall discount levels offered by US retailers ranged between 11 per cent and 24 per cent, compared to the earlier forecast of 10 to 24 per cent. The apparel category posted the most aggressive price cuts at 24 per cent, up from 20 per cent last year. Electronics, meanwhile, saw discounts averaging 23 per cent, roughly in line with 2023 levels.

Mobile shopping dominates transactions

Reuters also cited Adobe data showing that mobile phones were the dominant channel for shopping during the sales period. Adobe reported that 53.2 per cent of all online purchases were made on mobile devices, exceeding its earlier forecast of 52.5 per cent.

The strong mobile performance highlights the continued shift in consumer behaviour, with shoppers increasingly comfortable browsing and buying big-ticket items directly from their smartphones.

Broader economic backdrop

The surge in online sales comes against a backdrop of heightened economic uncertainty in the United States, as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to pursue an aggressive trade agenda.

As Reuters reported, the threat of new tariffs, including a looming August 1 deadline for countries to renegotiate trade deals has rattled businesses and injected fresh volatility into consumer sentiment.

Retailers are responding by pushing heavier discounts in a bid to keep sales resilient despite these headwinds. Adobe also suggested the spending spree was partly driven by shoppers’ willingness to “trade up” on bigger purchases they might normally avoid, enticed by the deep discounts.

A robust shopping moment despite challenges

For the retail sector, the strong sales figures offer a rare bright spot in a landscape shaped by global trade tensions and cautious consumer spending.

Adobe’s report underscores how carefully orchestrated sales events—coupled with targeted, early back-to-school promotions—can still generate powerful spikes in demand.

As quoted by Reuters, Adobe pointed to the evolution of Prime Day into a wider shopping festival that now sets the pace for mid-year retail, much as Black Friday does for the year-end holiday season. With the success of this year’s promotions, industry analysts say retailers will be closely watching how they can replicate the “Black Friday in Summer” playbook in the future, particularly as economic uncertainty shows little sign of abating.