Remember when holiday shopping started after Thanksgiving? There was a time when retailers could spend October getting ready for the big November rush. Shoppers waited for Black Friday to start checking names off their gift lists. Apparently, nobody told shoppers that was still the plan.
During October 6 and 7, 2026, U.S. consumers spent $9.86 billion online, according to Adobe Analytics. That’s an 8.5% increase over the comparable shopping event last year, and it happened nearly two months before Black Friday. The spending coincided with Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days.Bbut the number tells a much bigger story than one marketplace having a successful sale.
Adobe’s $9.86 billion figure represents online spending across U.S. retailers, not Amazon sales alone. As Amazon promoted its deals, other retailers offered competing discounts, and shoppers responded by opening their wallets across the internet.
For small and midsize eCommerce businesses, the takeaway is worth paying attention to. Holiday shopping is no longer something that suddenly begins in late November. Customers are browsing, comparing prices, and making purchases much earlier, which means the competition for their attention is already underway.
October’s Shopping Surge Was About More Than Amazon
Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days has become something of an unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. The event draws attention to discounts, but it also creates an opportunity for other retailers to reach shoppers who are already in a buying mood. When customers start looking for deals, they don’t necessarily limit themselves to one marketplace.
This October, that broader shopping activity added up quickly. Adobe reported $9.86 billion in U.S. online spending over the two-day period, compared with approximately $9.09 billion during the comparable event in 2025. The 8.5% increase suggests that shoppers were willing to spend when they found offers that felt worthwhile, even with Black Friday still weeks away.
Promotions helped drive that activity, with Adobe reporting discounts reaching as much as 20% off listed prices in certain categories. Computers, televisions, electronics, toys, and apparel were among the areas where shoppers encountered significant markdowns. But the spending wasn’t limited to big-ticket purchases or early holiday gifts. Consumers also used the promotional window to stock up on everyday essentials, showing that October deal events are increasingly becoming part of how households plan their spending.
For merchants, that’s an interesting shift. A shopping event that once might have been viewed primarily as an Amazon promotion now influences buying behavior across the broader eCommerce landscape. Independent retailers may not have the same promotional budgets as national chains, but they are operating in a market where customers are actively looking for reasons to buy.
October 2026 Online Shopping: The Numbers at a Glance
The mobile numbers are particularly revealing. More than half of the spending happened on phones, reinforcing how much the shopping experience has changed. Customers aren’t necessarily sitting down at a computer to research holiday purchases anymore. They might discover a product while scrolling through social media, compare a few options during a lunch break, and complete an order before they’ve even finished their coffee.
That makes the October surge about more than early discounts. It also shows how quickly customers can move from browsing to buying when the right product and offer appear at the right moment.
Why Holiday Shopping Keeps Moving Earlier
For years, Black Friday and Cyber Monday dominated the holiday retail conversation. Those events are still enormously important, but October has become a much more active part of the shopping calendar as retailers introduce earlier promotions and customers look for opportunities to spread out their holiday spending.
Adobe had already forecast $95.8 billion in U.S. online spending for October 2026, an 8% increase over the previous year. The nearly $10 billion spent during the October 6–7 promotional window helps illustrate why retailers are investing more attention in the weeks leading up to November.
From a shopper’s perspective, the appeal is easy to understand. Holiday expenses add up quickly, and buying gifts over several weeks can feel more manageable than making every purchase at once. If a product you’ve been considering suddenly goes on sale in October, waiting until Black Friday doesn’t necessarily offer much of an advantage.
For businesses, though, the earlier calendar creates both opportunities and decisions. Merchants who traditionally wait until November to begin their holiday marketing may find that some customers have already started shopping elsewhere. At the same time, businesses that participate in October promotions need to think about how those offers fit into the rest of the season, particularly when Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and December shopping are still ahead.
That doesn’t mean every independent retailer needs to launch a major sale whenever Amazon does. Deep discounts can be difficult to sustain for businesses with tighter margins, and attracting customers isn’t especially helpful if the promotion leaves too little profit behind. Instead, the longer shopping season gives merchants more opportunities to reach customers through early gift guides, thoughtful product bundles, limited promotions, and reminders about holiday delivery timelines.
The opportunity isn’t necessarily to discount more. It’s to recognize that customers are ready to shop earlier and give them a reason to consider your business while they’re doing it.
What Nearly $10 Billion in Spending Means for Small Businesses
It’s easy to see a figure like $9.86 billion and assume the biggest retailers captured all the benefits. Amazon may have provided the occasion, but Adobe’s data reflects a broader shopping event that extended across the U.S. online retail market.
That distinction matters for smaller businesses because it shows how major promotional periods can influence shopping behavior beyond the companies hosting them. A customer might begin the day browsing Amazon deals, encounter a promotion from an independent brand, and ultimately purchase something from a completely different storefront. Shoppers don’t necessarily organize their buying around marketplace boundaries. They’re looking for products they want, prices that make sense, and a shopping experience they trust.
For independent merchants, competing in that environment doesn’t always mean offering the lowest price. A specialty retailer might attract customers through a carefully curated selection, while a handmade business might stand out because its products feel more personal than something available at a national chain. Clear product descriptions, straightforward shipping information, and a mobile-friendly checkout experience can also make a difference when shoppers are comparing options.
The mobile spending data makes that last point especially relevant. With approximately $5.1 billion in purchases happening on phones during the two-day event, the mobile storefront is no longer a secondary shopping experience. For many customers, it’s the entire experience, from discovering a product to placing an order.
There’s also an operational side to all this early spending. When customers begin shopping sooner, businesses have a longer period of potentially elevated order volume to manage. Instead of preparing for one concentrated rush in late November, merchants may find themselves balancing October promotions, Black Friday campaigns, and December fulfillment demands.
As we discuss in our guide to eCommerce order fulfillment, a successful sale is only the beginning of the customer experience. Getting the right product packed, shipped, and delivered matters just as much, particularly when holiday shoppers are counting on their purchases arriving in time.
The good news is that earlier demand can give businesses more opportunities to generate sales throughout the season. The challenge is making sure those opportunities fit the business’s capacity, budget, and customer expectations.
Is Black Friday Still the Biggest Holiday Shopping Event?
With billions already being spent in October, it’s reasonable to wonder whether Black Friday and Cyber Monday are beginning to lose some of their importance. Adobe’s holiday outlook suggests that’s not the case.
The company forecasts $275.1 billion in U.S. online spending during November and December 2026, representing 6.7% growth over the previous year. Within that period, Cyber Week is projected to generate $47.5 billion, with Cyber Monday alone expected to reach $15.1 billion.
Those figures are forecasts rather than completed sales. But they suggest the traditional holiday shopping events still have plenty of momentum. What’s changing is the amount of activity happening before them.
Instead of viewing the holiday season as a few major shopping days, merchants may need to think about it as a longer stretch of customer interest. Some shoppers will purchase gifts early when they find a good offer. Others will wait for Black Friday, and plenty will continue buying well into December.
For smaller businesses, that doesn’t mean every week needs a new promotion. It means there’s value in planning for several different shopping moments rather than putting all the pressure on one weekend. A business might introduce holiday products in October, offer a focused promotion in November, and spend December emphasizing gift availability and delivery deadlines.
The strongest approach will depend on the products, customers, and resources of each business. What works for a large electronics retailer may not make sense for a handmade jewelry shop or a specialty food brand, and that’s perfectly fine.
The important thing is recognizing that holiday shoppers are already active. Businesses don’t necessarily need to match every major retailer’s promotion. But they do need to understand when their customers are paying attention.
Frequently Asked Questions About October 2026 Online Shopping
How much did Americans spend online during October Prime Big Deal Days 2026?
According to Adobe Analytics, U.S. consumers spent $9.86 billion online during October 6 and 7, 2026. That is an 8.5% increase over the comparable shopping event in 2025.
Was the $9.86 billion spent entirely on Amazon?
No. Adobe’s figure represents online retail spending across U.S. retailers during the two-day promotional window. It is not a measure of Amazon’s individual sales revenue.
How much did online spending grow compared with 2025?
U.S. online spending increased 8.5% year over year. From approximately $9.09 billion during the comparable 2025 event to $9.86 billion in 2026.
How much of the October shopping happened on mobile devices?
Approximately $5.1 billion, or 52% of the two-day online spending total, came from mobile devices, according to Adobe Analytics.
Does early October shopping mean Black Friday is becoming less important?
Not necessarily. Adobe forecasts strong online spending during November and December 2026, including $47.5 billion during Cyber Week. The October surge suggests shoppers are spreading purchases across a longer holiday season rather than abandoning traditional shopping events.
What does early holiday shopping mean for small eCommerce businesses?
It creates opportunities to reach customers before Black Friday through early product launches, gift guides and targeted promotions. It is a convenient shopping experience. Businesses should also prepare for holiday order volume to build earlier in the season.
The Holiday Shopping Season Isn’t Waiting for November
Nearly $10 billion in online spending over two October days is a pretty clear sign that holiday shopping habits are changing. Customers are finding deals, buying gifts, and stocking up on essentials well before the traditional November rush, and retailers across the industry are participating in that activity.
For independent merchants, the lesson isn’t that every business needs to compete with Amazon or launch bigger discounts. It’s that the holiday shopping season now offers more moments to connect with customers. Those moments are arriving earlier than they used to.
The businesses best positioned to benefit will be the ones that understand what their customers value. Planned promotions that make financial sense, and reliable ways to handle the orders that follow.
Because getting shoppers to click “Buy” is exciting. Making sure their orders get out the door is what turns a busy holiday season into a successful one.
Getting ready for your next big sales rush? Start your free trial with Ordoro and see how easier order management and shipping can help you keep up.
