• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
North Americaholiday shopping

Holiday shopping will look different this year, Adobe predicts: AI-assisted purchasing will jump a staggering 520%

By
Alex Vuocolo
Alex Vuocolo
and
Retail Brew
Retail Brew
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Alex Vuocolo
Alex Vuocolo
and
Retail Brew
Retail Brew
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 7, 2025, 5:10 PM ET
Shoppers are on track to continue tapping AI-powered services for their shopping this year.
Shoppers are on track to continue tapping AI-powered services for their shopping this year.Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Adobe Analytics predicts online sales will grow 5.3% this holiday season, down from 8.7% last year, as consumers turn to deal days and buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps to fuel their spending in an uncertain economic climate.

Recommended Video

One of the biggest upticks from last year is in the concentration of spending around sales events. The five-day period including Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are expected to drive nearly one-fifth of sales (17.2%), up from 6.3% last year.

Yet the focus on deal days comes even as retailers hold steady on discount rates—and many consumers look for more than just the lowest price.

Adobe expects retailers to offer up to 28% off listed price, which is comparable to last year’s rate. At the same time, consumers appear ready to trade up this year, with the estimated share of units sold for the most expensive products rising 56% in sporting goods, 52% in electronics, and 39% in appliances.

But that doesn’t mean consumers won’t borrow money to fund their purchases; BNPL is set to drive $20.2 billion in online spending, which is up 11% year over year, according to Adobe.

  • BNPL providers such as PayPal are doing their part to drive this demand with new offerings such as 5% cash back on BNPL purchases through the end of the year.
  • The company cited a data point that more than 80% of shoppers that have used or considered using BNPL are open to using it this holiday season.

Shoppers are also on track to continue tapping AI-powered services for their shopping this year. Adobe estimates a 520% jump in AI traffic, and it anticipates this activity peaking around Thanksgiving, with categories such as toys, electronics, and jewelry seeing the biggest boost from AI services.

While Adobe’s forecast shows slowing growth, the online-focused report is still more optimistic than those reports looking at overall sales. For instance, Deloitte’s holiday forecast expects growth between 2.9% to 3.4%, as increased discretionary income makes up for economic uncertainty.

This report was originally published by Retail Brew.

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Authors
By Alex Vuocolo
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Retail Brew
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in North America

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in North America

U.S. launches new strikes on Iran while Tehran mocks Trump’s reversal on charging for Hormuz transits — ‘20% is of course too much. We will be fair’
PoliticsIran
U.S. launches new strikes on Iran while Tehran mocks Trump’s reversal on charging for Hormuz transits — ‘20% is of course too much. We will be fair’
By Jon Gambrell, Konstantin Toropin, Will Weissert and The Associated PressJuly 13, 2026
4 hours ago
Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell face each other.
North Americagovernment spending
McConnell’s absence could jeopardize Republicans’ defense spending agenda as the Iran war escalates
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 13, 2026
4 hours ago
usa
North AmericaWealth
America pays workers just 27% of what its wealth allows — the worst in the OECD
By Stephen Bagwell, Susan Randolph and The ConversationJuly 13, 2026
7 hours ago
college
Personal FinanceColleges and Universities
The real reason college costs 43% of family income isn’t tuition
By Thomas Adam and The ConversationJuly 13, 2026
7 hours ago
ph
North AmericaDEI
How Pete Hegseth’s DEI order just put Scouting America’s future at stake
By Seth T. Kannarr, Derek H. Alderman and The ConversationJuly 13, 2026
8 hours ago
dan
PoliticsElections
Meet Dan Sullivan, the retired schoolteacher running for office who insists he’s not trolling sitting Senator Dan Sullivan
By Becky Bohrer and The Associated PressJuly 13, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
17 hours ago
Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
Personal Finance
Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
By Brianna Sosa and BloombergJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
Big Tech
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
17 hours ago
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
7 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.