Black Friday E-Commerce Pulse: Shopify Surges 25%, Amazon Breaks Key Levels

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This Black Friday, e-commerce didn’t just grow, it accelerated. Two signals from Shopify and Amazon point to one clear trend: online retail is outperforming expectations heading into Cyber Week.

Shopify Merchants Hit $6.2B (Up 25% YoY)

Shopify reported $6.2 billion in Black Friday GMV, a 25% YoY jump, beating last year’s pace and reinforcing a multi-year trend: Shopify sellers continue to grow 2× faster than the overall e-commerce market.

Analysts are mixed on the stock move (down ~3% after the announcement), but aligned on one thing: Cyber Monday + the rest of Cyber Week will likely push Q4 numbers past expectations.

Why this matters:

• Shopify’s growth shows SMBs and DTC brands are capturing more holiday share

• High GMV growth despite macro uncertainty signals strong shopper intent

• AI-powered personalization and discounts likely contributed to conversion lift

Amazon Stock Breaks Out as Discounts Drive Demand

Amazon rallied past a key technical level on Black Friday, helped by:

• Heavy Thanksgiving-week discounting

• A surge in early holiday shopping

• Strong demand in electronics, home, and small appliances

• Increased traffic from “Buy Now, Pay Later” usage

Analysts expect Amazon to post record Cyber Week numbers, with many categories showing double-digit volume spikes before Black Friday even began.

Why this matters:

• Amazon is aggressively pulling demand forward with deep discounts

• Marketplace sellers are benefiting from high visibility + deal stacking

• Amazon’s ad platform is poised for a revenue spike as competition intensifies

What This Means for Operators

Three immediate takeaways:

1. Shoppers are price-sensitive but ready to spend. Discounts are still driving the majority of conversions.Expect this trend to last through December.

2. Cyber Week may outperform expectations. Shopify’s strong Friday + Amazon’s stock breakout signal stronger-than-expected Q4.

3. AI-assisted merchandising is officially paying off

Brands using AI for:

• offer testing

• content personalisation

• dynamic bundles
  …are reporting higher AOV and conversion lift.

Black Friday’s early data shows e-commerce is stronger than predictions and the brands that win are the ones combining smart discounting, strong merchandising, and AI-powered optimization.

Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays

Over the next year, Roku predicts that 100% of the streaming audience will see ads. For growth marketers in 2026, CTV will remain an important “safe space” as AI creates widespread disruption in the search and social channels. Plus, easier access to self-serve CTV ad buying tools and targeting options will lead to a surge in locally-targeted streaming campaigns.

Read our guide to find out why growth marketers should make sure CTV is part of their 2026 media mix.

Learn more.

Cyber Monday Ads Go Live

Right on the heels of a record-breaking Black Friday, major retailers have rolled out their Cyber Monday 2025 ad campaigns, and the theme is clear: deeper discounts, bigger bundles, and aggressive category-wide markdowns.

📊 Quick Stats: Holiday Shopping 2025

• Black Friday online sales hit $11.8B in the U.S., up 9.1% YoY.

• AI-powered shopping traffic surged ~805% YoY, becoming a major driver of online conversions.

• Cyber Monday sales are forecast to reach $14.2B, extending the strong Black Friday momentum.

• Shoppers bought fewer items per order but spent more per item, prioritizing higher-value categories like electronics, toys, and lifestyle products. (Yahoo Finance)

• Mobile remained the dominant shopping channel, reinforcing the need for mobile-first UX, faster checkout, and optimized product pages.