Retail and Consumer Spending

U.S. Black Friday retail sales rose 4.1% year‑over‑year per Mastercard SpendingPulse, while Adobe Analytics said consumers spent a record $11.8 billion online (up 9.1%) with mobile driving over half of Thanksgiving sales and peak online activity hitting about $12.5 million per minute mid‑day. Foot‑traffic estimates diverged—RetailNext reported a 3.6% decline in in‑store visits while Pass_by saw a 1.17% increase—and analysts warn much of the dollar growth was pricing‑driven (Salesforce: average selling prices +7%, items per order −2%, order volumes −1%).