Black Friday sales in the U.S. revealed contrasting trends between in-store and online shopping, highlighting consumers’ preference for digital platforms.

While brick-and-mortar stores saw muted growth of just 0.7% year-over-year, online sales surged by 14.6%, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse data. The figures underscore the growing dominance of e-commerce in the holiday shopping season, Reuters reports.

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Top-selling items included makeup, Bluetooth speakers, and espresso machines, reflecting diverse consumer preferences.

Salesforce analyzed data from over 1.5 billion global shoppers and reported a 7% uptick in U.S. online sales, reaching $17.5 billion. Home appliances and furniture emerged as popular categories among digital buyers.

Physical retail locations struggled to keep pace, with Facteus reporting a 5.4% drop in-store sales. This decline deepens to 8% when adjusted for inflation, indicating a challenging environment for traditional retailers.

Big-box stores like Target Corp (NYSE:TGT) and Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE:BBY) experienced flat year-over-year sales on Black Friday, emphasizing the shift toward digital channels.

Amazon has prioritized Black Friday over Cyber Monday for the second consecutive year, a shift Deepwater Asset Management’s Gene Munster says yields strong results. This strategy aligns with Amazon’s history of creating unique sales events, such as Prime Day.

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