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Record-breaking sales reported
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Amazon ( AMZN ) saw the strongest growth on Black Friday
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Americans spent roughly $10.8 billion online on Black
Friday
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Shein, Temu also post strong results
(Updates chart, details on stock moves)
By Siddharth Cavale
NEW YORK, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc ( WMT ),
Amazon.com ( AMZN ) and fast-growing e-commerce sites Shein and
PDD Holding's Temu saw record-breaking sales on Black
Friday and Cyber Monday, according to spending data, suggesting
that they may finish the holiday season on a much stronger note
than Target ( TGT ) and Best Buy ( BBY ), which struggled.
Holiday shoppers largely browsed at brick-and-mortar stores,
making more online purchases at some retailers, snapping up such
items as pre-owned Rolex watches, Pokemon cards and singer
Sabrina Carpenter's perfumes at Walmart ( WMT ), and Fire TV streaming
devices and Shark vacuums at Amazon ( AMZN ) during the deal-heavy week,
which at Amazon ( AMZN ) began on Nov. 21, according to company
statements.
Americans spent roughly $10.8 billion online on Black Friday
this year, up 10.2% from the previous year, then followed that
up by spending $13.3 billion on Cyber Monday, 7.3% more compared
to Cyber Monday in 2023, according to Adobe.
Among major retailers, Amazon ( AMZN ) saw the strongest growth on
Black Friday, with sales rising 6% compared to Black Friday a
year earlier, according to data firm Facteus, which tracks
online and in-store spending in the United States analyzing data
from banks, credit unions, payment processors, and fintech
companies. Its figures are not inflation adjusted.
Rival Walmart ( WMT ) saw 3% more spending compared to the
year-earlier period, while big-box chain Target ( TGT ) and consumer
electronics chain Best Buy ( BBY ) saw declines versus a year earlier,
Facteus said.
Among top performers on Black Friday, the day after
Thanksgiving, were low-cost China rivals Temu and Shein,
clocking double-digit percentage growth sales, albeit from a
lower sales base, Facteus said.
Similarly, on Cyber Monday, the Monday following
Thanksgiving, Amazon ( AMZN ), Walmart ( WMT ), Temu and privately held Shein saw
an increase in sales compared to Cyber Monday 2023, while Best
Buy's ( BBY ) declined versus a year earlier. Target ( TGT ) saw a modest
increase.
At Target ( TGT ), the muted sales performance came despite
exclusive merchandise partnerships with singer Taylor Swift and
the Broadway show turned Hollywood movie, "Wicked," which were
expected to give it a boost.
According to research firm Circana, Target's ( TGT ) exclusively
available Taylor Swift "Eras Tour Book" sold 814,000 print units
in just two days of launch, making it the second-highest adult
non-fiction release behind Barack Obama's "A Promised Land."
At Best Buy ( BBY ), which has struggled due to shoppers pulling
back on items like TVs and laptops, sales were 2% lower on Black
Friday and 4% lower on Cyber Monday compared to the year-ago
periods. Still, its shares are up 2% since Thanksgiving on Nov.
28, suggesting that investors expect a better performance ahead.
Since Black Friday, Walmart ( WMT ) and Amazon's ( AMZN ) shares have rallied
4.5% and 9.3%, respectively, outpacing the S&P 500's rise
of 1.6%.
Walmart ( WMT ) offered four times as many deals between Black
Friday and Cyber Monday on its Walmart.com marketplace,
resulting in its highest single sales day ever between Nov. 25
and Dec. 2, the company said in a blog post.
While the retailer did not specify which day was its sales
peak, it said top products included pre-owned Rolex watches,
refurbished Dyson vacuums, Pokemon cards, vintage LEGO items,
and beauty products from T3, BabylissPRO, Paul Mitchell, and
Victoria's Secret. Singer Sabrina Carpenter's Sweet Tooth was
the most coveted fragrance, it said.
Amazon ( AMZN ) said that the 12-day shopping period ending on Cyber
Monday resulted in record sales compared to the same period in
prior years, which Facteus confirmed.
Top sellers included Medicube devices, FireTV sticks,
Samsung TVs, Barbie, Play-Doh, Shark vacuums and air purifiers.
Shoppers bought a record number of items, generating its
highest-ever sales during a 12-day period.
Temu generated $53.3 million in sales on Black Friday and
$55.1 million on Cyber Monday, which were both records, Facteus
said.
Temu told Reuters in an email that toys, especially kids'
instruments and cameras, were popular.
Similarly, Shein, also hit new highs, with sales of $34.2
million on Black Friday and $38.9 million on Cyber Monday, the
data firm said.