For the first time ever, smartphones (41 percent) were the devices most used by consumers for online shopping during the 2017 Black Friday shopping week, surpassing desktop computers (38 percent) and laptops (34 percent), according to new research by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). The 2017 Post-Black Friday Week Survey, covering Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday confirms the number of Americans who shopped on Cyber Monday (26 percent) outpaced those who shopped on Black Friday (25 percent), for the first time.
 
“Consistent with CTA’s earlier projections, the 2017 holiday shopping season marks an official milestone for mobile shopping,” said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research, CTA. “ High ownership rates of mobile devices paired with targeted advertising, deal notifications and social media ad campaigns, have given rise to the ‘omnishopper,’ who is eager to pounce on the online deals that have frequently spanned the entire Black Friday shopping week. With the shift to greater use of mobile devices to shop online, it’s no surprise that Cyber Monday - the biggest online shopping holiday - has surpassed Black Friday in number of total shoppers for the first time ever.”
 
Top Black Friday Week Tech Purchases
Technology is one of the most popular categories for Black Friday shopping week purchases, following only clothing. Fifty-seven percent of U.S. adults - or 59 million people (an increase over last year) shopped for tech during Black Friday Week. The top tech purchases were:
 
1) Televisions
2) Headphones
3) Laptops
 
Other tech that performed well: tablets, smartphones, videogame consoles, any type of technology accessory (e.g., cases, cables), DVD OR Blu-ray Disc players and smart speakers (e.g., Amazon Echo or Google Home).
 
Expected Increase in December Shopping
CTA’s research indicates 71 percent of U.S. adults still plan to shop throughout the remainder of the holiday season, driven in part by an extra weekend of December shopping before the holiday season ends. Of those planning to shop, 39 percent plan to purchase a tech product or tech accessory.
 
Additional sentiments among those who plan to shop in the remainder of the holiday season include:

• The belief that technology makes shopping more convenient (67 percent)

• Shopping in-store helps avoid possible shipping delays (47 percent)

• They will always be a last minute shopper (38 percent)

• There will be even better deals later in the season (36 percent)

• Many prefer to shop online and pick up items in-store (34 percent) 

“Technology performed even better than expected over the Black Friday shopping week thanks, in part, to impulse tech purchases and excitement around emerging tech,” said Koenig. “With mobile technology allowing you to shop anywhere, at any time, and act quickly – half of shoppers made unplanned tech purchases this past week. Tech will remain a dominant category in shoppers’ carts – especially headphones, laptops, smartphones and TVs – for the remainder of the holiday shopping season.”  
 
According to CTA’s overall holiday season outlook, Americans’ total tech spending during the entire 2017 holiday shopping season (October-December) will increase one percent over last year to reach a record $96.8 billion. To view CTA’s full 2017 holiday outlook, visit CTA.tech/holiday.
 
CTA’s 2017 Black Friday Week Survey presents the findings of a dual-frame telephone interview to a random national sample of 1,015 U.S. adults fielded Nov. 27-28, 2017. A complete report will be available by Dec. 1 at no cost to CTA members at CTA.tech.