Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
U.S. shoppers spent $1.75 billion online on Thanksgiving as of 5 p.m.. and were predicted to spend a record $3.7 billion by midnight, up 29% from 2017, according to Adobe Analytics figures cited by Business Insider.
Why it matters: "The skyrocketing sales represent an increase in online shopping more generally, as well as a Black Friday sales 'day' that is shifting earlier and earlier," per BI.
The state of play: "Much of the growth has come from smartphones," which accounted for 37% of sales, up from 29% last year.
- This is a trend ... Here are two Business Insider headlines from a year ago: "Smartphones are killing Black Friday ... Photos of shockingly empty stores prove that Black Friday as we know it is dead."
- Experts say surging online sales could lead to calmer bricks-and-mortar shopping.