As we step into the aftermath of the 2024 holiday shopping extravaganza, it’s hard not to wonder—how do we reconcile the holiday shopping joy with the dizzying speed of technological change? Well, according to Adobe, this season was nothing short of revolutionary. With paid search taking the lead in retail sales and smartphones emerging as the new shopping mall in our pockets, it’s clear that the landscape is shifting beneath our feet! Not to mention the rise of generative AI as your shopping buddy—yes, that AI that has been helping you find those elusive gifts while you sip on your hot cocoa. Let’s dive into this seismic transformation in consumer behavior that drove a record $241.4 billion in online spending this year. You won’t want to miss these insights! LEARN MORE
Channel wins. Paid search led holiday retail sales with 29.7% revenue share (up 1% YoY), while affiliates and partners, including influencers, saw stronger growth at 17.6% (up 6% YoY), significantly outperforming social media traffic.
Influencers proved highly effective, converting shoppers 9x more than social media overall, with 37% of Gen Z making purchases based on their recommendations
By the numbers:
- Total online spending: $241.4 billion (up 8.7% YoY)
- Paid search revenue at 29.7% (up 1% YoY)
- Mobile shopping share: 54.5% of transactions (up from 51.1% in 2023)
- Buy Now Pay Later spending: $18.2 billion (up 9.6% YoY)
- AI chatbot retail site traffic: Up 1,300% YoY
The big picture. Three categories drove more than half of all online spending: