Omni Talk Retail – Black Friday Hits RECORD $11.8 Billion in Online Sales | Fast Five Shorts
Date: December 4, 2025
Hosts: Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Omni Talk Retail team dives deep into the record-breaking online sales of Black Friday 2025, dissecting fresh data, evolving consumer trends, the expanding role of AI agents in shopping, and what these shifts mean for the retail industry. The conversation is lively, balanced, and sprinkled with personal insights and historical perspective, helping listeners understand not just what happened, but why it matters for the future of retail.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Black Friday’s Record Online Sales

[00:00–00:46]

• Headline Stat: Black Friday 2025 saw online sales reach a record $11.8 billion, a 9.1% YOY increase (Adobe Analytics), corroborated by Mastercard Spending Pulse (10.4% E-commerce growth).
• Mobile Commerce: Mobile accounted for 55% of all purchases.
• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL): Contributed nearly $800 million of online spend.
• AI in Retail: AI-driven traffic to retail sites soared 805% compared to 2024.
• Host Framing: Anne introduces these stats and asks Chris for initial reactions.

2. Analysis of Growth and Trends

Host: Chris Walton
[00:46–03:32]

• Sustained 10% Growth:
  “I used to say to my team all the time, expect a 10% bump. Like you could take it to the bank. ... So the 10% bump’s not surprising, but it is surprising to see that that trajectory still is consistently happening year over year.”
  —Chris Walton [00:56]

• Warehouse Clubs Surge:

  • Sam’s Club traffic: +9.7%
  • BJ’s: +8.2%
  • Costco: +7.7%
  • Shoppers flocked to club stores for perceived value, despite typically avoiding these stores during peak periods.
    “People are finding value in the clubs. Like, who would have ever thought clubs on Black Friday, like, that’s kind of the last place I would want to be...”
    —Chris Walton [01:27]

• Room for Mobile Growth:
  “I still can’t believe that mobile is only 55% of purchases. ... It still tells me that there’s a ton of room to go on our mobile devices here over the next few years.”
  —Chris Walton [02:03]

• AI Shopping Acceleration—Too Slow?:
  Surprised that AI-influenced shopping jumped ‘only’ 805%.
  “800% in basically what is year two to me seems really low […] it feels like it should be moving faster to me.”
  —Chris Walton [02:27]

  • BNPL Comparison: The adoption curve for buy now, pay later (2019–2021) was 970%—he expected AI to outpace that.
  • Pragmatic AI Approach: Chris advocates for viewing AI agents as “search amplifiers” rather than as fully integrated platforms, urging a pragmatic approach.

3. The Role and Future Potential of AI Agents in Shopping

Host: Anne Mezzenga
[03:32–05:20]

• AI Agent Adoption Already Remarkable:
  "AI agents were involved in 25% of purchases. 25%. That means like one in four people as they're shopping, whether they're on their desktop, on their mobile, like they were using an agent in some way, shape or form."
  —Anne Mezzenga [03:37]

• Perspective on Growth:
  Anne sees current AI involvement as a starting point for much greater adoption, equating 2025 to the “1998 moment” for e-commerce.

  • “I think this was the first year, this was our 1998. ... What we should be looking at is what we see in next year’s growth.”
    —Anne Mezzenga [04:21]
  • Predicts transformative impact when direct transaction and ads are enabled within agent platforms.

• Consumer Value Proposition:
  “The number one thing that this [AI agent shopping] services and why I think so even 25% of people were using this is that it gives you price transparency. ... Like we’ve never been able to do that independently outside of a retailer’s website before as a consumer.”
  —Anne Mezzenga [04:42]

• Cautious Optimism: Anne advocates holding judgment until next year, anticipating bigger shifts as capabilities expand.

4. Defining “Agents” and E-commerce Search

[05:20–end]

• Chris’s Skepticism: Questions the definition of “agents” and whether the AI involvement stat simply reflects expanded use of search platforms, reminding listeners to examine methodology.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Who would have ever thought clubs on Black Friday? That’s the last place I would want to be...but hey, I guess when you gotta get those deals.”
  —Chris Walton [01:27]

• “AI agents were involved in 25% of purchases. That means one in four people as they’re shopping...they were using an agent in some way, shape, or form.”
  —Anne Mezzenga [03:37]

• “To me, 800% [growth in AI-influenced shopping] seems low...it feels like it should be moving faster to me.”
  —Chris Walton [02:27]

• “This was our 1998. ... What we should be looking at is what we see in next year’s growth.”
  —Anne Mezzenga [04:21]

Segment Timestamps

• [00:00–00:46] Headlines and Black Friday sales figures
• [00:46–03:32] Chris’s analysis: historical growth, club store surge, mobile commerce, letdown on AI’s pace
• [03:32–05:20] Anne’s take on AI agents, parallels with early e-commerce, focus on consumer benefit and next year’s outlook
• [05:20–end] Closing thoughts on the definition and future of AI agents in retail

Tone and Language

The conversation is energetic, opinionated, and practical—a hallmark of the Omni Talk Retail hosts. Chris balances skepticism and industry experience, while Anne brings optimism and big-picture thinking, both peppering their discussion with relatable anecdotes and grounded advice for retailers navigating a fast-changing landscape.