The American technology website Verge reported that online sales decreased slightly during "Black Friday" compared to last year, marking the first time that spending on this day has declined from the previous year. Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving in the United States, when people typically wake up early to stand in front of major retail stores to take advantage of significant discounts offered by those stores on what is considered the biggest shopping event of the year in America.
The website noted that online shoppers spent a total of $8.9 billion this year, which is a little less than the $9 billion spent in 2020. Adobe Analytics indicated that this downward trend could be attributed to increased early spending, as some stores started sales and promotions early in October.
Vivek Pandya, the principal analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, stated, "For the first time ever, Black Friday has seen a reversal of the growth trend from previous years." He added, "Some shoppers are planning to buy over a longer period of time and using technology to ensure the quality of the deal they are engaging in."
The site shows that mobile purchases increased by ten percent compared to last year. Verge mentioned that "while early sales may be the primary factor behind the decline, global supply chain issues could be another contributing factor." The website stated that this issue has made "it difficult for shoppers to obtain the products they want," thus reducing purchases, and noted that "devices and electronics have been more affected by this than others."
