What is the average spend per shopper on Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday 2024 shattered records with $13.3 billion in U.S. online sales, but what does that mean for individual shoppers? Understanding per-person spending helps retailers benchmark performance, journalists cite accurate figures, and consumers budget for next year’s deals.

The average U.S. shopper spent approximately $650 during the Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday period in 2024, according to Deloitte survey data analyzed by Statista. This represents a 15% jump from 2023 and includes all online and in-store purchases made during the extended holiday weekend, not just Cyber Monday alone.

Numbers at a glance

• $650 — Average consumer spend during Thanksgiving-Cyber Monday period (2024)
• $13.3 billion — Total U.S. Cyber Monday online sales (2024)
• $108-124 — Average order value per transaction on Cyber Monday
• 7.3% — Year-over-year growth in total Cyber Monday sales
• $991.2 million — Buy-now-pay-later transactions on Cyber Monday
• 30.1% — Average discount on electronics (highest category discount)
• 57% — Share of Cyber Monday sales from mobile devices

Year-by-year spending trends (2019-2024)

Cyber Monday spending has grown consistently over the past five years, with notable acceleration during the pandemic and steady gains since.

Year	Total U.S. Sales	YoY Growth	Notable Drivers
2019	$9.4 billion	—	Baseline year
2020	~$12.2 billion	30%	Pandemic-driven online shift
2021	~$10.7 billion	-12%	Supply chain disruptions
2022	$11.3 billion	5.8%	Economic uncertainty
2023	$12.4 billion	9.6%	Recovery momentum
2024	$13.3 billion	7.3%	Record-breaking year

The 2020 surge reflects the pandemic’s acceleration of e-commerce adoption, while 2021’s dip resulted from inventory shortages and shipping delays. The steady 7-10% growth in recent years suggests Cyber Monday has matured into a reliable retail milestone.

Inflation-adjusted growth drivers

When adjusted for inflation, the $650 average spend represents genuine growth in consumer purchasing power during Cyber Monday. Adobe’s Digital Price Index shows e-commerce prices have fallen consecutively for 26 months, down 2.9% year-over-year in October 2024.

Key factors driving real spending increases include:

Deeper discounts: Electronics averaged 30.1% off in 2024, up from 28% in 2023, making high-ticket items more accessible to average consumers.

BNPL adoption: Buy-now-pay-later options removed immediate budget constraints, with $991.2 million in BNPL transactions on Cyber Monday 2024, up 5.5% year-over-year.

Mobile optimization: Improved mobile checkout experiences captured impulse purchases, with 57% of sales coming from smartphones—an all-time high representing $7.6 billion in mobile spending.

Methodology – where spending numbers come from

Understanding how different organizations calculate “average spend” helps explain why figures vary across sources and which metrics matter most for different use cases.

Survey vs. transaction data explained

Deloitte’s $650 figure comes from pre-holiday consumer surveys asking about intended spending across all retailers and channels during the Thanksgiving-Cyber Monday period. This methodology captures comprehensive consumer behavior but relies on self-reported data.

Adobe’s $108-124 AOV tracks actual completed transactions through its analytics platform, covering over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites and 100 million SKUs. This provides precise transaction data but represents individual order values rather than total consumer spending.

The gap exists because consumers shop multiple times during Cyber Monday, often across different devices and retailers, making single-transaction AOV lower than total individual spending across the holiday period.

Why “per consumer” ≠ “average order value”

This distinction matters critically for retailers setting benchmarks and consumers understanding their own spending patterns. A $650 per-consumer spend typically translates to 3-5 separate orders averaging $110-150 each, depending on product categories and shopping behaviors.

Retailers should target AOV improvements while recognizing that consumers naturally split purchases across multiple sessions, especially when comparing prices, using different payment methods, or shopping across categories.

Demographic & device spending breakdowns

Spending patterns vary significantly across age groups and shopping platforms, revealing targeted opportunities for both retailers and consumers.

Spending by age cohort (Gen Z to Boomers)

Millennials lead high-value purchases, with 24% likely to spend $1,000 or more on Cyber Monday—the highest rate among all generations. Gen X follows closely at 22%, while Boomers (13%) and Gen Z (10%) show lower rates of big-ticket spending.

However, Gen Z demonstrates strong participation with 59% planning to shop Cyber Monday deals, indicating high engagement despite smaller individual purchase amounts. Their focus on fashion and beauty products creates specific opportunities for retailers in these categories.

Boomers show distinct preferences, often purchasing toys (likely for grandchildren) and electronics, while Millennials and Gen X spread spending more broadly across categories. This suggests different marketing approaches work better for different age segments.

Desktop vs. mobile spending patterns (57% mobile sales)

Mobile devices dominated Cyber Monday 2024 sales at 57%, but desktop users maintained significantly higher average order values:

Device	Sales Share	AOV Range	Shopping Behavior
Mobile	57%	$85-98	Quick, mission-focused
Desktop	43%	$146-151	Browsing, larger carts

Desktop’s 78% AOV premium reflects more deliberate shopping behavior, with users adding multiple items and comparing options before checkout. Mobile’s dominance in volume but lower AOV suggests retailers should optimize for mobile conversion while encouraging larger basket sizes through bundling and upselling.

The mobile surge represents a fundamental shift—back in 2019, just 33% of Cyber Monday sales came through mobile devices, showing how rapidly consumer behavior has evolved.

Income-level spending variations

Spending correlates strongly with household income, creating distinct market segments that retailers must understand:

• Under $50k households: ~$320 average Cyber Monday spend
• $50k-$100k households: ~$520 average spend
• Over $100k households: ~$850+ average spend

These variations help explain why premium retailers see different AOV patterns than mass-market brands, and why BNPL options particularly appeal to lower-income segments seeking access to higher-priced items without immediate full payment.

Category impact on basket size

Product categories drive dramatically different spending behaviors, with electronics and toys creating the largest impacts on overall basket sizes and consumer spending patterns.

Electronics driving highest spending with 30.1% discounts

Electronics commanded the deepest Cyber Monday discounts at 30.1%, spurring 452% growth compared to October baseline sales. Popular items driving high-value purchases included:

• Gaming consoles (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch OLED)
• Smart home devices and Bluetooth speakers
• Laptops, tablets, and digital cameras
• Large appliances and televisions

The combination of high original prices and substantial discounts creates natural upselling opportunities, with consumers often adding accessories, extended warranties, or complementary products to electronics purchases, driving AOV well above the $108-124 average.

Toys’ 680% demand spike despite lower individual prices

Toys experienced the most dramatic growth at 680% above October levels, driven by holiday gift-buying and 26.1% average discounts. However, toys typically carry lower individual prices, requiring higher quantities to match electronics’ basket impact.

LEGO sets and educational toys dominated premium toy sales, while traditional toys and games drove volume. Popular items included Elf on the Shelf dolls, Harry Potter toys, card games, and 100 years of Disney limited edition figurines.

This category’s seasonal nature makes it crucial for retailers to capture maximum share during Cyber Monday’s concentrated shopping window, as demand drops significantly after the holidays.

Comparing Cyber Monday to Black Friday & Cyber Week

Cyber Monday’s position within the broader holiday shopping period affects both consumer behavior and retailer strategy, with distinct spending patterns emerging across the extended weekend.

Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday spending gap ($2.5B difference)

Black Friday 2024 generated $10.8 billion in online sales compared to Cyber Monday’s $13.3 billion, creating a $2.5 billion advantage for the digital-focused day. This gap has widened over recent years as consumers increasingly prefer online shopping’s convenience over in-store experiences.

The shift reflects changing consumer habits: Black Friday traditionally emphasized in-store doorbusters and early-morning shopping, while Cyber Monday captured online-only deals and work-day browsing. As retailers blur these distinctions, Cyber Monday’s digital-native approach continues gaining ground.

Extended Cyber Week spending distribution

The $650 Deloitte figure covers the entire Thanksgiving-Cyber Monday period, not just Monday alone. Breaking down typical consumer spending across the extended weekend:

• Thanksgiving Day: ~$100-150 per participating shopper (mobile-heavy browsing)
• Black Friday: ~$200-250 per shopper (mix of online and in-store)
• Small Business Saturday: ~$75-100 per shopper (local and specialty focus)
• Cyber Monday: ~$200-300 per shopper (peak online spending day)

This distribution shows how consumers strategically spread holiday spending across multiple days, with Cyber Monday capturing the largest single-day share while benefiting from accumulated weekend shopping momentum and pent-up demand.

The $650 spending benchmark explained

Understanding where this figure comes from and what it actually measures helps retailers set realistic targets and consumers gauge their own holiday spending patterns against national averages.

Latest Deloitte & Statista data breakdown

The $650 figure represents total holiday weekend spending per consumer, not just Cyber Monday purchases. Deloitte’s consumer survey methodology tracks intended spending across the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, providing the most comprehensive view of individual shopper behavior during this peak period.

This number aligns with broader spending trends: with 200.4 million Americans shopping during Cyber Week 2023 and similar participation expected in 2024, the $650 average helps explain how total sales reached record levels despite economic uncertainties.

The methodology combines pre-holiday consumer surveys with post-purchase analysis, creating a reliable benchmark that accounts for both planned and impulse purchases during the extended shopping period.

How Adobe’s transaction data aligns ($108-124 AOV vs. total basket)

Adobe Analytics, which tracks actual transaction data rather than survey responses, reports average order values between $108-124 per Cyber Monday purchase. The gap between Deloitte’s $650 and Adobe’s AOV reflects a crucial distinction: consumers make multiple purchases across different retailers during the holiday period.

A typical shopper might place 3-5 separate orders on Cyber Monday alone—one for electronics, another for apparel, plus gift purchases—each with an AOV around $110, totaling closer to the $650 benchmark when combined with Black Friday and weekend shopping.

This pattern explains why retailers see lower individual transaction values while consumers report higher total spending across the holiday weekend.

What the benchmark means for retailers

The $650 average spend and supporting data points offer actionable insights for retail strategy, performance measurement, and competitive positioning during the crucial holiday period.

Target AOV strategies – bundling and BNPL integration

Retailers should target $150+ AOV to capture above-average performance during Cyber Monday, using several proven tactics:

Product bundling: Electronics retailers can package accessories, warranties, or complementary items to reach the $150 threshold naturally. For example, laptop sales with cases, mice, and software subscriptions.

BNPL integration: With $991.2 million in BNPL transactions and 75.2% of those happening on mobile, offering flexible payment options removes price sensitivity barriers for higher-value purchases.

Free shipping thresholds: Setting minimum order requirements just above current AOV encourages additional items and larger baskets, particularly effective for apparel and home goods categories.

Mobile checkout optimization priorities

With 57% of Cyber Monday sales happening on mobile devices, retailers must prioritize mobile-first experiences. Key optimizations include:

• One-click BNPL integration at checkout to capture the 75% of BNPL users on mobile
• Simplified mobile forms with autofill and social login options
• Clear shipping and return policies prominently displayed during checkout
• Social proof and urgency messaging to encourage immediate purchase decisions

Mobile-first retailers consistently outperform desktop-focused competitors during Cyber Monday, capturing both traffic volume and conversion rates in the increasingly mobile-dominated landscape.

Tips for shoppers to stay on budget

Understanding average spending patterns helps consumers set realistic budgets and avoid overspending during Cyber Monday’s high-pressure, deal-heavy environment.

Deal verification and price tracking tools

Use price-tracking tools like Honey, CamelCamelCamel, or retailer apps to verify discount authenticity. Many “Cyber Monday deals” simply return items to regular sale prices rather than offering genuine markdowns from typical retail prices.

Set up price alerts for specific items weeks before Cyber Monday, allowing comparison of actual vs. claimed savings. This helps identify truly exceptional deals worth the $650 average spending benchmark.

Strategic budget allocation by category

Allocate your holiday budget strategically across categories based on actual needs and typical discount patterns:

• Electronics: 40-50% of budget for high-value items (deepest discounts at 30.1%)
• Apparel: 25-30% for seasonal updates (23.2% average discounts)
• Gifts: 20-25% for holiday presents across categories
• Miscellaneous: 10% buffer for unexpected deals or impulse purchases

Track spending in real-time using banking apps or budgeting tools to avoid exceeding planned amounts across multiple purchases and retailers throughout the day.

Frequently asked questions

Is the $650 figure before or after discounts?

The $650 represents actual consumer spending after discounts are applied. It reflects what shoppers pay out-of-pocket during the Thanksgiving-Cyber Monday period, not original retail prices before markdowns.

How much does the average family spend?

Family spending typically ranges from $800-1,200 during Cyber Week, depending on household size and income. Families with children often spend 30-40% more than the individual average due to gift purchases and seasonal needs.

Why did spending jump 15% in 2024?

The increase reflects deeper retailer discounts (electronics at 30.1% off), expanded BNPL adoption ($991.2 million in transactions), and improved mobile shopping experiences. Economic confidence also supported discretionary spending compared to 2023’s uncertainty.

Which states spend the most on Cyber Monday?

While comprehensive state-by-state data isn’t publicly available, metropolitan areas in California, New York, and Texas typically lead in total Cyber Monday volume due to population density and higher average household incomes.

Does BNPL inflate average spending amounts?

Yes, BNPL removes immediate budget constraints, encouraging larger purchases. The $991.2 million in BNPL transactions (up 5.5% year-over-year) suggests many consumers exceed their cash budgets using flexible payment options.

How early do people start budgeting for Cyber Monday?

Most consumers begin holiday budget planning in October, with 60% setting aside funds specifically for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Early planners typically spend 20-30% more than last-minute shoppers.

What is the projected 2025 spending figure?

Based on historical growth patterns and continued mobile adoption, expect 2025 average spending to reach $700-750 per consumer during Cyber Week, driven by retailer competition and evolving payment options.

Is Cyber Monday still growing faster than Black Friday?

Yes, Cyber Monday’s 7.3% growth outpaced Black Friday’s 10.2% increase in 2024, though both showed strong performance. The digital-first format aligns better with evolving consumer preferences for online shopping convenience.

Key takeaways

• $650 average spend covers the entire Thanksgiving-Cyber Monday period, not just Monday alone
• Mobile dominance reached 57% of sales ($7.6 billion), up from 33% in 2019
• Electronics lead spending with 30.1% average discounts driving 452% growth over baseline
• BNPL transactions hit $991.2 million, with 75% happening on mobile devices
• Millennials spend most with 24% likely to spend $1,000+ compared to 10% of Gen Z
• Multiple purchases per consumer explain the gap between $650 total spend and $108-124 AOV
• Desktop users maintain 78% higher AOV despite mobile’s traffic dominance
• Income strongly correlates with spending: <$50k households average $320 vs. $850+ for high earners

Sources & references

• Adobe Analytics — Real-time transaction data from over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites
• Statista Consumer Data — Deloitte survey analysis showing $650 average spend projection
• Digital Commerce 360 — Industry analysis and retailer performance metrics
• Exploding Topics — Comprehensive statistics compilation and demographic breakdowns
• National Retail Federation — Historical shopper participation data