U.S. online shoppers splurged on electronics, home goods, and back-to-school supplies this year. “Adobe data reveals a new e-commerce benchmark, with U.S. consumers spending $14.2 billion online and mobile devices on July 16-17.
Coinciding with Amazon’s Prime Day, U.S. consumers spent a record-breaking $14.2 billion on e-commerce during the two-day period of July 16-17, representing an 11% increase over the previous year. This figure includes a wide range of retailers and Amazon’s sales.
Adobe’s recent report attributes the surge in e-commerce sales to a combination of back-to-school shopping and consumer demand for new electronics, home, and furniture appliances—a trend they term ‘product refresh cycles’.
Related
Back-to-school shopping surged 216% compared to daily June averages as parents prepared for the new academic year. This may be partly attributed to the later timing of Prime Day this year, which took place in mid-July compared to early July in 2023.
According to Adobe, back-to-school essentials like backpacks and lunchboxes drove a significant portion of e-commerce spending. Simultaneously, consumers capitalized on the event to upgrade their homes, with electronics sales surging 61% and home goods increasing by 76% compared to the previous month.
Electronics purchases included a wide range of items, from tablets and televisions to smartphones and cameras. Home goods focused on kitchenware, mattresses, and furniture for both office and bedroom spaces.
Adobe analyzed over one trillion visits to U.S. retailers, encompassing 100 million products across 18 categories, to compile its data. Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services contributed $1.08 billion to the two-day sales total as shoppers sought financial flexibility amid inflation. Despite economic challenges, consumer spending remained robust, partly driven by new customer acquisition.
