• Black Friday online sales reached $8.6 billion by early evening, according to Adobe.
• AI-driven shopping traffic is expected to surge 600% as more buyers use AI tools online.
• Mobile shopping and Buy Now, Pay Later services fueled strong growth.

American shoppers are delivering a record-breaking Black Friday, with online spending already reaching $8.6 billion by early evening and projections suggesting the final tally could exceed initial forecasts, according to data from Adobe Analytics.

Black Friday online spending through 6:30 p.m. ET represents 9.4% growth compared to last year, slightly outpacing Adobe's earlier forecast of 8.3% growth for the day.

Adobe now expects consumers will spend between $11.7 billion and $11.9 billion by the time Black Friday concludes, up from its earlier projection of $11.7 billion. This would set a new single-day record for online shopping. Adobe also found that more buyers are turning to AI tools and Buy Now Pay Later options to make purchases.

The data comes from analyzing commerce transactions across over 1 trillion visits to US retail sites, covering 100 million products across 18 categories.

"Adobe surveyed over 1,000 US consumers and nearly half believe the best deals this season will come on Black Friday, pushing many to hit buy on products before Cyber Monday," said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, in a statement. "Given the strong spending so far today, we anticipate the final tally for online shopping on Black Friday will exceed our initial forecast."

The strong Black Friday performance sets the stage for what Adobe expects to be a robust Cyber Week, the five-day period spanning Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. The company forecasts that period will account for 17.2% of the entire holiday season's spending, totaling $43.7 billion, up 6.3% from last year.

Black Friday's hottest products

The hottest sellers so far include televisions, the newly released Nintendo Switch 2, Apple AirPods 4, and the Oura Ring 4. Kitchen items, such as KitchenAid stand mixers and storage containers, have also been flying off virtual shelves, along with washers and dryers, bicycles, and basketball hoops.

Adobe's survey found that 50% of respondents planned to shop for apparel and accessories online on Black Friday, followed by toys at 40% and computers and electronics at 36%.

The surge in spending has been fueled by discounts that ran deeper than analysts initially anticipated. Electronics saw the steepest markdowns at up to 29% off list prices, followed by toys at 28%, apparel at 25%, and televisions at 24%. Computers, appliances, furniture, and sporting goods all saw significant price cuts ranging from 19% to 23% off.

Buyers turn to AI and mobile shopping

Shoppers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for help navigating deals and finding the right products. AI-driven traffic to retail sites, measured by shoppers clicking on links from AI assistants, is expected to surge 600% compared to last year.

In Adobe's survey, nearly half of respondents said they have used or plan to use AI for online shopping this season, primarily for finding deals, conducting product research, and getting recommendations.

The growing reliance on AI shopping tools comes as companies race to integrate the technology into the holiday shopping experience. Earlier this week, OpenAI introduced a shopping research feature in ChatGPT that builds personalized buyer's guides by asking clarifying questions and surfacing information from across the web.

Mobile shopping continued its dominance, accounting for 58.6% of online sales so far and driving $5.1 billion in spending, a 11.3% year-over-year increase. That represents a higher mobile share than last year's Black Friday, when phones and tablets accounted for 55% of purchases.

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services also experienced heightened activity, with the payment option expected to drive $761.8 million in Black Friday spending, representing an 11% increase from the previous year.

The vast majority of these installment purchases happen on mobile devices, which account for 82.4% of BNPL transactions this holiday season. Consumers are most likely to use the payment option for electronics, apparel, toys, and furniture.

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• Sunday Robotics hired several former Tesla staff members to work on its Memo home robot.
• Some Sunday Robotics staff previously worked on the Tesla Optimus and Autopilot programs.
• Sunday Robotics joins a growing field of startups creating advanced home robots.

After Sunday Robotics emerged from stealth mode last week, it revealed a team stocked with Tesla alums.

At least 10 former Tesla employees work at the robotics startup, including several longtime employees who were involved in Tesla's humanoid robot and self-driving efforts, according to a LinkedIn analysis.

Perry Jia, who worked on Tesla's Autopilot and Optimus programs for nearly six years, announced last week that he'd left the electric-car maker during the summer to work at the startup.

Nadeesha Amarasinghe also joined Sunday Robotics during the summer, his LinkedIn profile shows. He'd previously worked at Tesla for more than seven years, serving as an engineering lead for AI infrastructure, where he assisted with both Optimus and Autopilot.

Tesla's Autopilot and Optimus programs are among the company's most high-profile efforts. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the carmaker's ability to solve autonomous driving will determine its long-term value. He has also placed a heavy emphasis on the Optimus humanoid robot, saying the company aims to eventually ship millions of units capable of tasks ranging from factory work to personal care.

Sunday Robotics also has an array of former Tesla interns and Autopilot employees who have worked at Tesla over the past five years, including Jason Peterson, a former Optimus and robotaxi talent employee, according to his LinkedIn profile.

In total, the startup employs around 50 people, including engineers and "memory developers" who assist in training the robot, according to Sunday Robotics' LinkedIn page.

Tesla and Sunday Robotics did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Cheng Chi and Tony Zhao cofounded Sunday Robotics in 2024. Zhao interned on Tesla's Autopilot team in 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile.

On November 19, Sunday Robotics unveiled its home robot, Memo. Zhao posted a video on X that showed Memo picking up wine glasses, loading a dishwasher, and folding socks.

Sunday Robotics is one of many robotics startups that is building a home robot.

Most recently, robotics startup 1X unveiled the consumer-ready version of its Neo home robot in October. The company has said it plans to begin shipping the robot to customers next year.

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• Amazon workers launched the sixth annual "Make Amazon Pay" Black Friday protests.
• Actions targeted unsafe heat conditions, Amazon's AI expansion, climate impact, and ICE contracts.
• Strikes and rallies hit India, Germany, the US, Canada, Australia, and more.

Amazon workers in more than 30 countries launched coordinated strikes and protests on Black Friday, kicking off the sixth annual "Make Amazon Pay" campaign with what organizers say is the movement's largest mobilization to date.

The wave of walkouts, rallies, and demonstrations runs through December 1, spanning warehouses, data centers, offices, and public spaces worldwide. UNI Global Union, which represents millions of service sector workers worldwide, and Progressive International, a global network of labor and activist organizations, are organizing the protests.

Organizers say the actions reflect mounting frustration over everything from heat-related warehouse injuries and aggressive productivity pressure to Amazon's booming AI and cloud operations, rising climate impact, and its work with immigration and law-enforcement agencies.

"Amazon, Jeff Bezos, and their political allies are betting on a techno-authoritarian future, but this Make Amazon Pay Day, workers everywhere are saying: enough," said Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI Global Union, in a statement. "For years, Amazon has squashed workers' right to democracy on the job through a union and the backing of authoritarian political figures."

An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement, "The fact is at Amazon we provide great pay, great benefits, and great opportunities—all from day one. We directly employ more than 1.5 million people around the world, and provide a modern, safe, and engaging workplace whether you work in an office or at one of our operations buildings."

Amazon workers in India demand labor protections

This year, thousands of workers are rallying in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and more than 20 other Indian cities, demanding fair wages, safe conditions, and protection from extreme heat.

A UNI Global Union survey of 474 Amazon warehouse and delivery workers in India, conducted between June and July, illustrated labor concerns driving this year's actions. Three-quarters of respondents said they or a coworker required medical attention due to heat exposure. More than half reported "extremely hot and unsafe" or "unbearable" working conditions.

The findings come one year after India's Human Rights Commission called for an investigation into labor practices at an Amazon facility near New Delhi, where workers were reportedly discouraged from taking water breaks during a severe heat wave. Amazon workers in India also held protests over this last year.

"No worker should be forced to risk their health — or their life — for Amazon's bottom line," Hoffman said. "Heat protections must be enforceable, and workers themselves must have a say in setting the standards."

Protesters criticize Amazon's environmental impact and ICE ties

Over 1,000 Amazon corporate employees published an open letter criticizing the company's rollout of artificial intelligence. The letter argues that Amazon is abandoning its climate commitments to fund AI infrastructure, citing a $150 billion investment in new data centers despite the company's pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2040.

The employees demanded that Amazon power all data centers with renewable energy, establish worker committees with authority over AI deployment decisions, and refuse to provide AI technology for what they describe as "violence, surveillance, or mass deportation."

The expanded agenda of "Make Amazon Pay" this year emphasizes what organizers call a "techno-authoritarian future" — the convergence of Big Tech companies with authoritarian political forces. The coalition said that Amazon funded Trump's inauguration and that the company's recent filings show it paid $1.4 billion less in taxes.

Outside of Amazon, organizers planned protests across multiple US cities, including Chicago, Newark, New York, Oakland, San Bernardino, and Washington, D.C. Demonstrators are focusing on Amazon's work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, demanding the company stop providing infrastructure they say powers the agency's deportation operations.

"Amazon is no longer just a retailer — it is a pillar of a new authoritarian order built on surveillance and exploitation," David Adler, co-general coordinator of the Progressive International, said in a statement. "From ICE raids to the repression of Palestinians, Amazon's technologies are woven into systems of violence worldwide."

Amazon workers call for unionization efforts

In Germany, the services union Verdi coordinated work stoppages at nine logistics facilities, Reuters reported. About 3,000 workers participated, according to the union, which continues to seek a collective bargaining agreement.

Amazon maintains about 40,000 employees at German logistics centers, plus 12,000 additional seasonal hires for the holiday rush. The company told Reuters the walkouts would not affect customer deliveries and that its compensation is competitive.

Additional protests took place in Canada, where CSN, a major trade union, and CTI, an advocate for immigrant workers, held a demonstration in downtown Montreal, calling for a boycott of Amazon.

The protest followed Amazon's closure of several Quebec distribution centers that resulted in 4,500 job losses, CityNews Montreal reported. Union leaders accused Amazon of retaliating against workers' unionization efforts, with one organizer noting the timing between the unionization of a warehouse and Amazon's decision to close facilities in the region.

Other actions occurred in Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Nepal, Brazil, Bangladesh, Colombia, Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Greece, the UK, South Africa, and Gaza.

Amazon workers achieved some union victories in 2025. A warehouse in Delta, British Columbia, has become the first Canadian Amazon facility to gain union representation after labor officials ruled that the company improperly interfered with the organizing campaign. Amazon is contesting the ruling.

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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tori Dunlap, the 31-year-old founder and CEO of Her First $100K, a financial education company geared toward Gen Z and millennial women. She's also an author and podcast host based in Seattle.

Dunlap saved and invested $100,000 by the time she was 25 years old, which became the origin story of her company. She credited her ability to save such a large sum at a young age to a combination of privilege and hard work, and graduating debt-free thanks to her college fund from her parents and the three jobs she worked while in school.

In June 2025, she spoke with Business Insider about why she chose to rent, rather than buy, her home, despite being a millionaire. At the time, renting fit her season of life due to its flexibility, convenience, and lower costs, but she said she didn't think she'd do it forever. She has since purchased her own home.

Dunlap also previously shared about how she and her partner navigate finances in their relationship, given their difference in income. Dunlap's partner earned $60,000 in 2024, working multiple jobs within the athletics and education space, as well as side gigs such as dog-sitting and private training.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I founded Her First $100K when I was 25 to fight financial inequality by giving women actionable resources to better their money.

I didn't build a business to work so hard that I burn myself out. That's why I left a 9-to-5 job. I built a company culture where we do really important work, but we say all the time, "We're not curing cancer."

Here's what a workday in my life is like.

My day usually begins around 7:30 a.m.

I'm not up at 5 a.m. drinking my lemon water because I like my sleep. I'm not a coffee drinker, so if I don't get at least eight hours of sleep, I'm a little grumpy.

If I have to be up early for a flight, a podcast, or a press interview, that's going to impact my wakeup time, but if I have control of my schedule that day, I'm usually up about 7:30 a.m.

As soon as I get out of bed, I check my phone. I know I shouldn't be doing so, and I don't love that I do, but I do. I check emails and Slack, our social content's performance, and my texts from friends.

Then I do what my friend Liz Moody talks about as a "circ walk" — a circadian walk. The idea is that if you can get sunlight in your eyes as soon as possible after waking up, your digestion improves, you feel more awake throughout the day, and your metabolism's better. Honestly, it just makes me feel really good.

I bought a home close to the water, so I walk to the beach. Sometimes, the walk is only 10 minutes. Other times, it's a half hour.

For breakfast, I usually split a berry chocolate protein smoothie with my partner. I've been drinking a version of that since 2016. He usually makes that while I'm doing chores around the house or preparing for calls.

I usually start work around 9 a.m.

I always find mornings to be most productive for me. I might have meetings with my team, be getting on a flight to speak somewhere, or just be answering emails.

Thursdays typically are our recording days. I record my own podcast, and then I may go on someone else's show.

My company is fully remote. Those of us who live in Seattle try to see each other and work together once or twice a month. It's nice to gather in person, but since we have people all over, we also offer virtual coworking on Zoom. That's one way we keep up our company culture, even though we're remote.

Lunch is a nice break for me

I usually cook lunch myself, or I have leftovers from the night before. Sometimes my COO comes over to cowork with me, and we might order lunch.

I really try not to eat while working. It's a nice break, and I try to take at least half an hour.

I'll usually watch a TV show, such as on Food Network or the Try Guys. I dream of being a guest judge on the Food Network, so I'm studying up. I've worked with the Try Guys before; I politely bullied them until they let me in, which is how I've gotten every opportunity in my business — just politely asking until they say yes.

I do things around the house during breaks

In the afternoons, I sometimes have more meetings and interviews. I also try to sneak in my actual work in between those — creating content, being the public face of the company, working on my next book proposal, and CEO work of big vision planning, thinking about our strategy, and testing certain things.

If I have breaks between tasks, I usually try to get something done around the house. I'll throw in a load of laundry or tidy up. I have a house cleaning service come twice a month, and honestly, I'll probably move to once a week because it's really nice and frees up my time.

Taking time during the workday is something that we've built into our work and fully approve of and support through our company policies. We're a team of all women — six full-time employees and nine contractors. People have lives outside work.

Our full-time employees already have unlimited PTO, but if someone needs to take the afternoon or a half hour off, they can do so without needing approval.

We also have menstruation leave at Her First $100K. As a menstruating founder, I lose at least five days a month to feeling gross, plus another few days during the luteal phase, during which I feel like an insane person. Men don't have to deal with these things.

We also have quarterly weeks off for our employees during which they're paid, but the entire company pauses.

My workday typically ends around 5 p.m.

If it's a standard day, I'm off at 5 p.m. and I won't touch my laptop again. If I get an idea or a spark, I'll sometimes open my laptop after dinner or at 10 p.m., because I genuinely enjoy working on my business, but I don't expect this of any of my other team members.

After work, I'll typically either cook dinner, meet friends, or go out for date night. If I'm having dinner at home with my partner, our go-to option is splitting a salad kit and adding chicken because it's healthy and quick.

Usually, after dinner — and I'll sometimes do it in the morning, too — I do barre. It's my workout of choice, and I try to do it three times a week.

I used to think that working out was about getting as skinny as possible. One of the things I love about barre is that you show up, make modifications, do the exercises that are right for you, and get as strong as you can. It really positively affected my relationship with fitness and with my body, and I think it has 100% affected the way I show up as a business owner.

I read and journal before bed

My partner and I might watch an episode or two of our show — right now, we're watching Money Heist — or do some reading. I'm a big reader, and so is he. When I don't read, I don't feel as good. Currently, I'm reading "Wild Dark Shore," a novel. I track every book that I read.

I read a variety of genres, including fairy smut fantasy, murder mystery thrillers, and general literary fiction. I read very little nonfiction because my entire life is a nonfiction book, and books are my escape.

I try to journal every single night, and I've done so almost every night for the last five or six years. The journal has been a huge part of helping me become the best person I can be and process my thoughts.

I try to be in bed with the lights out at 10:30 p.m., but usually that ends up being 11.

• My family moved to a new city for my job, where we had no extended family.
• When my mother-in-law came to visit, my husband and I had time for each other and the house.
• She decided to move in with us, and we are all so much happier together.

Yesterday, I ate three healthy meals, came to work fully prepared, went to the gym, read a chapter aloud to my daughters before bed, and fell asleep before 10 p.m., knowing the pets were fed, the plants were watered, the laundry was put away, and the dishwasher was loaded.

Am I the most amazing mom on planet Earth? Far from it. But I may be the luckiest — because my mother-in-law lives with me.

My family moved for a job

Seven years ago, my husband, our two then-toddlers, and I packed up and moved over 1,000 miles away for a job I couldn't turn down. Leaving our hometown meant saying goodbye to every grandparent our kids had, our cousins, and our childhood friends. In our new city, we had no family to speak of and only a few acquaintances from my college years. Babysitters were hard to come by (and afford), and grocery shopping became a tag-team sport.

For months, my husband and I were roommates at best, two adult ships just passing by one another at worst. I worked long hours while he carried most of the parenting load. The house was never fully clean. Some days I wore a bathing suit bottom instead of underwear because the laundry wasn't done. Date nights didn't exist.

But for one month each year, when my mother-in-law came to visit, we remembered who we were. She watched the girls while we went to dinner, and we relearned how to talk to each other as human beings in love. I'd come home to mopped floors, folded laundry, and kids buzzing from their latest board-game marathon or "British Bake Off" — style kitchen showdown with Grandma.

My mother-in-law's visits were so necessary

As the girls got older, her visits became our beacon of hope. She helped with homework, basketball practices, and science projects. She reminded me I was more than a worker or mother — I was a whole person. We watched "Survivor" together, she cheered on my dream of writing a bestselling romance novel, and when no one else knew I needed to hear it, she told me I was a good mom.

At the end of each visit, when her suitcase rolled toward the front door, we all cried. My husband got quiet, the girls begged her to stay longer, and I dreaded going back to survival mode.

After her most recent departure, things hit a breaking point. I started a new job with a big scope of work and a lot to prove. My husband was traveling more. The girls had calendars busier than we could manage. Money was tight. "In this economy?" felt like the answer to everything.

She ended up moving in with us

One day, I pitched the idea to my husband: "What if your mom moved in?" We both loved the idea, but we had our doubts. His mom had lived her whole life in a tiny coastal California town with one stop sign. Why would she uproot to a desert city with yield left turns at every intersection?

But when I told her I was feeling depressed, that I'd had to tell the girls they couldn't audition for a play because we couldn't juggle practices, that I was worried about my marriage, she said: "If you want me there, I'll move in."

Luckily, we had a spare bedroom. Nothing glamorous — just a small room in a tract home. That summer, she packed her belongings, forwarded her mail, and showed up at our door, here to stay.

Four months later, it's the best decision we've ever made. My kids now have a full cheering section at their games. The house is spotless (she actually loves to clean). When we work late, dinner is waiting for us. She even bakes and freezes protein muffins so I don't skip breakfast.

My mother-in-law is starting to lay down roots. She is considering taking a local art class, volunteering at the animal shelter, or looking for a part-time job. She is teaching the girls how to crochet. They know their family history through her stories. On Thursdays, we stream "Survivor" and on other nights, we watch "Gilmore Girls" together — grandma and the kids for the first time, me for the fifth. My husband, who sat through the series once when I was pregnant, happily skips. But even his mood is lighter. He can run errands without checking if I'll be home. And as much as I love his mom, I know he is so happy to have her close by again.

Of course, cohabitating means we sometimes step on each other's toes. But after years of monthlong visits and now four months of living together, I can say this with certainty: I love our multigenerational home. And I love that she loves us enough to make it possible.

• Airbus said it has recalled some of its A320 jets due to data corruption risks from solar flares.
• The recall could impact hundreds of planes in the US.
• American Airlines and Delta said they are updating aircraft software to prevent flight delays.

Airbus issued a major recall on Friday that will affect hundreds of planes in the US, including some operated by American Airlines and Delta.

The company said it discovered a potential data corruption issue on many of its A320 jets.

In the statement, Airbus said that "intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls," and that "a significant number of A320 Family aircraft" need immediate updates as a result. The company said it "will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers."

A spokesperson for Airbus told Business Insider via email that the issue is tied to a "specific software version carried by A320 Family aircraft, some of which are operating in the US."

American Airlines said in a statement that roughly 340 of its planes could be affected. It added that "we believe the total possible affected aircraft will be lower," and the update should take about two hours per aircraft.

Delta said the issue should only apply to a "small portion" of its A321neo aircraft, fewer than 50 planes. Delta told Business Insider the work would be done "by Saturday morning through already planned aircraft maintenance touchpoints."

A spokesperson from United Airlines said the company has not been affected by the recall.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is usually one of the busiest air travel days of the year.