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Black Friday Data Shows US Shoppers Spent $10.8 Bln Online

A woman and a child look at shops in a mall on Black Friday in Arlington, Virginia on November 29, 2024. (AFP)
A woman and a child look at shops in a mall on Black Friday in Arlington, Virginia on November 29, 2024. (AFP)
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Black Friday Data Shows US Shoppers Spent $10.8 Bln Online

A woman and a child look at shops in a mall on Black Friday in Arlington, Virginia on November 29, 2024. (AFP)
A woman and a child look at shops in a mall on Black Friday in Arlington, Virginia on November 29, 2024. (AFP)

US shoppers used their mobile phones, laptops, desktops and other devices to make roughly $10.8 billion in purchases online on Black Friday, an updated tally from Adobe Analytics showed.

Black Friday, the day after American Thanksgiving, marks the official start of the holiday shopping season for retailers and competition has intensified among retailers to win every penny-pinched shopper seeking discounts.

Increased online shopping potentially favors e-commerce giants such as Amazon.com and Walmart. Walmart, which operates 4,700 US stores, has invested heavily in store-to-home deliveries for the holiday season to boost e-commerce.

US spending online on Black Friday rose 10.2%, said Adobe, which keeps track of devices that use its software to help power more than 1 trillion visits to  US retail sites.

Corey Coscioni, 58, said he looked for bargains online as well as in stores on Black Friday, seeking "gifts for everyone: my wife, my daughter, and myself."

Top selling merchandise online included makeup, skincare and haircare products, as well as bluetooth speakers and espresso machines, Adobe said on Saturday.

Online sales of toys rose 622% compared to average daily sales in October, while jewelry sales rose 561% and appliances spiked 476% compared to October, it added.

Department store chains such as Macy's and Kohl's as well as big-box retailer Target could see muted sales this season, which is shorter with only 26 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In 2023, US shoppers spent $9.8 billion online on Black Friday, and in 2022, they spent $9.1 billion, Adobe said.

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Egypt Seeks Up to 60 LNG Shipments

A general view of the Nile River from the Egyptian capital, Cairo (Reuters).
A general view of the Nile River from the Egyptian capital, Cairo (Reuters).
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Egypt Seeks Up to 60 LNG Shipments

A general view of the Nile River from the Egyptian capital, Cairo (Reuters).
A general view of the Nile River from the Egyptian capital, Cairo (Reuters).

Egypt is in advanced talks with global energy and trading firms to secure between 40 and 60 shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG), aiming to meet urgent energy needs before summer demand peaks, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.
Cairo is negotiating with companies including Saudi Aramco, Trafigura, and Vitol for LNG supply deals extending through 2028, signaling a strategic shift from exporter to long-term importer amid declining domestic production, Asharq Bloomberg reported.
Sources say the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) has received 14 bids for supply contracts ranging from 18 months to three years. The rising demand this year could push Egypt’s monthly LNG import bill to nearly $3 billion starting in July, up from approximately $2 billion last year.
This move reflects Egypt’s effort to lock in long-term contracts to reduce exposure to volatile spot market prices. It also underscores the country’s deepening energy challenges: a sharp drop in gas production, increasing population, and soaring summer temperatures are straining domestic supply and forcing reliance on global markets.
Contract awards are expected next week. Plans call for 110 LNG shipments in the second half of 2025, 254 in 2026, and 130 in the first half of 2027.
One source said bids price LNG at 80 to 95 cents per million British thermal units (MMBtu) above the European benchmark, with payment deferrals of up to 180 days. European gas futures currently trade at about $12 per MMBtu, though LNG cargoes typically sell at a discount.
Egypt is also expanding infrastructure, including the addition of floating storage and regasification units, and is negotiating long-term supply deals with Qatar.
A recent Goldman Sachs report estimated Egypt’s 2024 energy deficit at over $11.3 billion, doubling the current account shortfall to 6.2% of GDP, compared to 3.2% the previous year.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has directed the government to preempt power outages this summer, according to a presidential statement this week.
A government source told Reuters Egypt is also considering importing at least 1 million tons of fuel oil, though LNG remains the preferred option due to its more flexible financing.
With gas output in February hitting its lowest level in nine years, Egypt imported 1.84 million tons of LNG in early 2025—roughly 75% of total 2024 imports, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights.