US Thanksgiving Online Sales to Rise 6%, Says Salesforce
According to data released by Salesforce on Thursday, online sales in the United States during the Thanksgiving holiday are expected to increase 6% year over year to $8.6 billion. This suggests that consumers were taking advantage of substantial discounts offered by retailers to indulge amid macroeconomic uncertainty caused by tariffs.
Thanksgiving spending in the United States reached $2.6 billion as of 2 p.m. ET (1900 GMT), a 5.8% increase over the same period last year, according to the statistics.
The holiday shopping season, which usually accounts for one-third of U.S. merchants’ annual sales and earnings, begins with Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports have increased expenses for both customers and retailers, creating economic uncertainty and increased volatility for this year’s kickoff.
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Rising Thanksgiving Sales Amid Economic Uncertainty
Despite generally negative consumer sentiment, recent data from American retailers indicates that consumers are willing to purchase presents, electronics, clothing, and other items at significant discounts.
Thanksgiving spending has already reached $13.1 billion worldwide, and by the end of Thursday, digital sales are predicted to surpass $36 billion worldwide, according to Salesforce data.
Salesforce, a cloud-based software business, predicts that Black Friday, the biggest day of the year for online shopping, will generate $78 billion in global online sales and $18 billion in the United States.
Earlier this week, Best Buy, an electronics retailer, said that holiday buyers were interested in its discounted computers, laptops, and cellphones. Abercrombie & Fitch and Gap, two clothing retailers, also appeared optimistic.
Black Friday Outlook Strengthens Retailer Confidence
This year’s holiday season is expected to be quiet, according to several holiday sales estimates. Mastercard research indicates that promotions will drive sales as customers look for deals.
Online expenditure between November 1 and December 31 is predicted to increase 2.1% to $288 billion, compared with a 4% increase to $282 billion during the same period last year, according to Salesforce’s September forecast that U.S. online sales growth during the 2025 holiday season would decrease from the previous year.