Black Friday's e-commerce sales rose markedly this year, boosted by AI-powered deal discovery and competitive discounts, despite slower offline foot traffic.

In a note shared Monday, Bank of America Research analyst Justin Post highlighted Adobe Analytics data showing Online sales up 9% year over year on Black Friday and 5% on Thanksgiving.

“Early holiday data indicates Online trends are solid vs expectations, and much better than brick-and-mortar as Online shift continues,” Post wrote.

Adobe reported both results slightly exceeded its initial forecasts and topped its 5% full-season outlook for November and December.

How Much Did AI Help Sales?

AI chatbots were the star players this Black Friday. Adobe estimates that AI-related traffic surged 805% year over year. New tools like Amazon's Rufus and ChatGPT helped consumers find the best prices.

Reuters said this AI-powered surge helped shoppers bypass crowded stores. AI is a “driving force for sales,” according to a Bankinter analysis team.

Still, other data showed a mixed picture. Salesforce, which tracks digital spending including groceries, saw U.S. online sales climb just 3% on Black Friday. This is slower than the 7% growth the firm saw last ...