Cyber Twelve 2024: A Snapshot of Success
Written by:
Mary Beth Wilson
Dec 5, 2024
5 min Read
The 2024 holiday shopping season marked a notable shift, with the traditional Cyber Five evolving into Cyber Twelve—a twelve-day shopping marathon that kicked off before Thanksgiving. This expanded timeline proved to be a triumph for e-commerce, showcasing record-breaking sales, changing consumer habits, and the growing impact of AI-driven innovations.
Surge Amid Consumer Caution
Despite low consumer sentiment and economic uncertainties, Cyber Twelve generated $41.1 billion in sales, representing an impressive 8.2% year-over-year growth. The shorter holiday season, with only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, prompted retailers to launch sales earlier than ever, with Walmart kicking off on November 11 and Amazon and Target following on November 21. This early momentum appeared to resonate with shoppers, yielding robust results across the extended event.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday remained the pinnacle of holiday sales, contributing $10.76 billion and $13.9 billion, respectively. Meanwhile, Thanksgiving Day continued its steady rise as a key retail day, with sales reaching $6.11 billion—an 8.8% increase over 2023. Even the quieter weekend between these landmark dates delivered $5.51 billion, affirming the extended period’s effectiveness in sustaining shopper engagement.
Shoppers Favor Popular Categories
Gift purchases during Cyber Twelve highlighted clear category winners, blending practical and indulgent choices. Shoppers prioritized apparel, personal care products, toys, home goods, and groceries. The average purchase size also saw an increase, climbing to $340.93 compared to $321.41 in 2023.
Generational Spending Trends
This year, Millennials led the way in spending, averaging $388.40 per shopper. Gen X followed at $364.22, with Gen Z at $323.04 and Baby Boomers at $253.47. While Gen X and Baby Boomers are known for their higher wealth levels, Millennials continue to drive holiday shopping trends, solidifying their status as a key demographic.
Product Trends and Platform Dominance
Top-selling items ranged from beauty products—makeup, skincare, and hair care—to technology essentials like Bluetooth speakers, smartwatches, and fitness trackers. Home goods, including bedding, linens, and televisions, remained staples for holiday shoppers. On Amazon, standout performers included the Dyson Airwrap, espresso machines, LEGO sets, Madden NFL 2025, and fitness trackers, underscoring the platform’s cross-category appeal.
E-commerce giants continued to dominate, with Amazon drawing 86% of shoppers, followed by Walmart at 64% and Target at 47%. Walmart's Marketplace had its highest-ever sales day and set a single-day conversion rate record between Nov. 25–Dec. 2, or Cyber Emerging platforms also gained traction; TikTok Shop drove over $100 million in U.S. Black Friday sales, reflecting the rise of social commerce as a viable shopping channel.
Shopify merchants had a record-breaking Black Friday Cyber Monday, generating $11.5 billion in sales, a 24% increase from 2023, with 76+ million consumers making purchases. Over 16,500 entrepreneurs celebrated their first sale, and 67,000 merchants achieved their best sales day ever, showing the massive impact of this year’s holiday shopping season.
AI: The Hidden Driver of Growth
Artificial intelligence played a pivotal role in shaping Cyber Twelve’s success. AI-driven tools powered more than $14 billion in global Black Friday sales, with retailers leveraging generative AI achieving 9% higher conversion rates compared to their peers. Bot-driven clicks to retail sites surged by 1,800% year-over-year, signaling the growing dependence on automation to enhance personalization, efficiency, and customer engagement.
Shoppers used ChatGPT, PayPal’s Honey app, Perplexity AI, and Weever.AI to shop, in addition to Amazon’s Rufus. Consumers noted these bots have a long way to go, sometimes giving in accurate information, but were somewhat helpful.
The Digital Shift Intensifies
Online shopping further eclipsed in-store experiences, with Black Friday online sales growing 14.6% year-over-year, compared to a modest 0.7% rise in physical retail. Mobile commerce accounted for over half of all online sales, generating $7.6 billion during the core Cyber Five period. Black Friday especially saw an uptick, with mobile devices driving 80% of U.S. traffic to retail sites, illustrating the increasing reliance on smartphones for on-the-go shopping.
Trends and Takeaways for 2025
Several key trends emerged during Cyber Twelve. Tariff concerns prompted many shoppers (59%) to prioritize big-ticket, non-essential items, while others (32%) focused on essentials. Early sales promotions led to some market fatigue, with Thanksgiving week online traffic dipping 3.9% and Black Friday health and beauty sales declining 7.2% due to pre-event discounts.
Cyber Twelve 2024 encapsulated the agility and growth potential of e-commerce. As retailers and brands analyze these patterns, they can refine strategies to meet evolving consumer preferences, capitalize on technological advancements, and prepare for what promises to be another transformative holiday season in 2025.
