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AI Pushes Black Friday E-Commerce Sales to a Record-High: 5 Picks
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Key Takeaways
AMZN, EXPE, BKNG, ETSY and DIBS are five picks after AI lifted Black Friday online sales to new records.
AI chatbots and tools boosted shopper traffic and pricing efficiency across multiple platforms.
Adobe, Mastercard and Salesforce data show strong year-over-year gains in AI-powered e-commerce.
The artificial intelligence (AI) saga is yet to be fully unfolded as this technology is gradually gripping every activity in its fold. Adobe Analytics reported that AI-driven online sales on this Black Friday touched a new record high of $11.8 billion, up 9.1% year over year.
Online traffic crossed the landmark of 1 trillion, soaring 805% year over year. Adobe said that AI-powered chatbots helped customers to secure the best prices and discounts under the circumstance of tariff-related price hikes.
Mastercard SpendingPulse estimated that 2025 Black Friday ecommerce sales grew 10.4% year over year. Salesforce estimated that this year’s Black Friday online sales (including consumer discretionary items) could reach $18 billion, up 3% year over year.
The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks year to date.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Amazon.com Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 Amazon’s top-line has been benefiting from steady momentum in Prime and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company is using the Claude chatbot of privately held Anthropic for AI exposure. Trainium2 AI chip has become a lucrative opportunity for the company. AMZN has invested $8 billion in this AI startup.
Anthropic has agreed to use 1 million custom Trainium2 chips from AMZN to run its AI applications by the end of 2025. On Oct. 29, AMZN unveiled its $11 billion AI data center called “Project Rainier”. This will run on the Anthropic chatbot using 500,000 Trainium2 AI chips.
In February 2025, AMZN introduced Rufus, a shopping chatbot that can answer and suggest products as per customers’ queries. Management said more than 250 million individuals have already used this product. The ecommerce behemoth has also unveiled Q, a chatbot for businesses, and Bedrock, a generative AI service for cloud customers.
Amazon is extensively using generative AI applications in its retail, cloud, devices and advertisement businesses. Management raised its 2025 capex to $125 billion from $118 billion reported earlier. CFO Brian Olsavsky said capex is likely to increase next year.
AMZN’s AI is reshaping customer experiences across shopping and media. The company expanded Alexa+ Early Access to millions, and its AI shopping agent is used by millions of customers. AMZN rolled out features that turn product summaries and reviews into audio clips and launched tools to help sellers enhance listings.
AMZN’s Prime Video added live sports milestones, drawing approximately two million viewers per NASCAR race and unveiling a new NBA broadcast team. These data-driven, AI-infused surfaces deepen engagement, unlock monetization, and diversify growth drivers in the near term.
Amazon.com has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 11.3% and 9.2%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 2% over the last 30 days.
Expedia Group Inc.
Zacks Rank #1 Expedia has been benefiting from Strong performance in the B2B segment and steady B2C growth. EXPE is using AI-powered search filters, personalized itinerary builders and conversational AI trip planners to help its customers with a personalized trip planning. In this regard, EXPE integrates OpenAI’s ChatGPT in its app.
EXPE’s strong brand portfolio, comprising Brand Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Orbitz, Travelocity, ebookers and Wotif Group, to name a few, offers a full range of travel and advertising services to travelers, suppliers and business partners.
Expedia Group has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 6.3% and 20.8%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 7.9% over the last 30 days.
Booking Holdings Inc.
Zacks Rank #3 Booking Holdings is one of the largest online travel companies in the world. BKNG’s travel-related offerings cover hotel rooms, airline tickets, rental cars, vacation packages, cruises, “things to do” at customer destinations and travel insurance.
BKNG’s adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) is creating meaningful competitive advantages across its customer and partner ecosystem. AI-driven tools such as Agoda’s hotel-specific chatbot, Kayak’s natural-language “AI mode,” and Booking.com’s conversational search features are enhancing user BKNG’s engagement, simplifying travel planning, and improving booking conversion rates.
For partners, innovations like Smart Messenger and Auto-Reply automate guest communications, boosting satisfaction and operational efficiency. Strategic collaborations with AI leaders, including OpenAI, Google, Amazon and Salesforce, further strengthen BKNG’s innovation edge. These AI advancements reinforce long-term revenue scalability and margin expansion potential.
Booking Holdings has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 8.9% and 15.8%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 0.1% over the last 30 days.
Etsy Inc.
Zacks Rank #3 Etsy operates as a leading e-commerce service provider, managing a two-sided marketplace platform at Etsy.com that connects creative entrepreneurs with buyers seeking unique, handmade, and vintage items. ETSY has established a strong international presence, with core operations spanning the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, and France.
ETSY’s partnership with OpenAI, which allows U.S. ChatGPT users to directly discover and purchase Etsy products, broadens traffic channels and enhances product discovery. ETSY’s continuous investments in AI-driven personalization, advanced search ranking models and seller tools are improving buyer conversion and overall user experience. These technology-focused initiatives are deepening customer loyalty while driving higher operational efficiency and ad monetization across the platform.
Etsy has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 3.4% and more than 100%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has remained the same over the last seven days.
1stdibs.Com Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 1stdibs.Com provides an online marketplace for connecting design with coveted sellers and makers of vintage, antique, and contemporary furniture, home decor, art, jewelry, watches and fashion. DIBS also provides advertisement services. DIBS enables AI integration for its users and monitors its impact on the luxury design market.
1stdibs.Com has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 2.8% and 32.5%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved more than 100% over the last 30 days.
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AI Pushes Black Friday E-Commerce Sales to a Record-High: 5 Picks
Key Takeaways
The artificial intelligence (AI) saga is yet to be fully unfolded as this technology is gradually gripping every activity in its fold. Adobe Analytics reported that AI-driven online sales on this Black Friday touched a new record high of $11.8 billion, up 9.1% year over year.
Online traffic crossed the landmark of 1 trillion, soaring 805% year over year. Adobe said that AI-powered chatbots helped customers to secure the best prices and discounts under the circumstance of tariff-related price hikes.
Mastercard SpendingPulse estimated that 2025 Black Friday ecommerce sales grew 10.4% year over year. Salesforce estimated that this year’s Black Friday online sales (including consumer discretionary items) could reach $18 billion, up 3% year over year.
At this stage, we recommend five e-commerce stocks that will enrich your portfolio in 2026. These are: Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) , Expedia Group Inc. (EXPE - Free Report) , Etsy Inc. (ETSY - Free Report) , Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG - Free Report) and 1stdibs.Com Inc. (DIBS - Free Report) . Each of our picks carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks year to date.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Amazon.com Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 Amazon’s top-line has been benefiting from steady momentum in Prime and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company is using the Claude chatbot of privately held Anthropic for AI exposure. Trainium2 AI chip has become a lucrative opportunity for the company. AMZN has invested $8 billion in this AI startup.
Anthropic has agreed to use 1 million custom Trainium2 chips from AMZN to run its AI applications by the end of 2025. On Oct. 29, AMZN unveiled its $11 billion AI data center called “Project Rainier”. This will run on the Anthropic chatbot using 500,000 Trainium2 AI chips.
In February 2025, AMZN introduced Rufus, a shopping chatbot that can answer and suggest products as per customers’ queries. Management said more than 250 million individuals have already used this product. The ecommerce behemoth has also unveiled Q, a chatbot for businesses, and Bedrock, a generative AI service for cloud customers.
Amazon is extensively using generative AI applications in its retail, cloud, devices and advertisement businesses. Management raised its 2025 capex to $125 billion from $118 billion reported earlier. CFO Brian Olsavsky said capex is likely to increase next year.
AMZN’s AI is reshaping customer experiences across shopping and media. The company expanded Alexa+ Early Access to millions, and its AI shopping agent is used by millions of customers. AMZN rolled out features that turn product summaries and reviews into audio clips and launched tools to help sellers enhance listings.
AMZN’s Prime Video added live sports milestones, drawing approximately two million viewers per NASCAR race and unveiling a new NBA broadcast team. These data-driven, AI-infused surfaces deepen engagement, unlock monetization, and diversify growth drivers in the near term.
Amazon.com has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 11.3% and 9.2%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 2% over the last 30 days.
Expedia Group Inc.
Zacks Rank #1 Expedia has been benefiting from Strong performance in the B2B segment and steady B2C growth. EXPE is using AI-powered search filters, personalized itinerary builders and conversational AI trip planners to help its customers with a personalized trip planning. In this regard, EXPE integrates OpenAI’s ChatGPT in its app.
EXPE’s strong brand portfolio, comprising Brand Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Orbitz, Travelocity, ebookers and Wotif Group, to name a few, offers a full range of travel and advertising services to travelers, suppliers and business partners.
Expedia Group has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 6.3% and 20.8%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 7.9% over the last 30 days.
Booking Holdings Inc.
Zacks Rank #3 Booking Holdings is one of the largest online travel companies in the world. BKNG’s travel-related offerings cover hotel rooms, airline tickets, rental cars, vacation packages, cruises, “things to do” at customer destinations and travel insurance.
BKNG’s adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) is creating meaningful competitive advantages across its customer and partner ecosystem. AI-driven tools such as Agoda’s hotel-specific chatbot, Kayak’s natural-language “AI mode,” and Booking.com’s conversational search features are enhancing user BKNG’s engagement, simplifying travel planning, and improving booking conversion rates.
For partners, innovations like Smart Messenger and Auto-Reply automate guest communications, boosting satisfaction and operational efficiency. Strategic collaborations with AI leaders, including OpenAI, Google, Amazon and Salesforce, further strengthen BKNG’s innovation edge. These AI advancements reinforce long-term revenue scalability and margin expansion potential.
Booking Holdings has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 8.9% and 15.8%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved 0.1% over the last 30 days.
Etsy Inc.
Zacks Rank #3 Etsy operates as a leading e-commerce service provider, managing a two-sided marketplace platform at Etsy.com that connects creative entrepreneurs with buyers seeking unique, handmade, and vintage items. ETSY has established a strong international presence, with core operations spanning the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, and France.
ETSY’s partnership with OpenAI, which allows U.S. ChatGPT users to directly discover and purchase Etsy products, broadens traffic channels and enhances product discovery. ETSY’s continuous investments in AI-driven personalization, advanced search ranking models and seller tools are improving buyer conversion and overall user experience. These technology-focused initiatives are deepening customer loyalty while driving higher operational efficiency and ad monetization across the platform.
Etsy has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 3.4% and more than 100%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has remained the same over the last seven days.
1stdibs.Com Inc.
Zacks Rank #2 1stdibs.Com provides an online marketplace for connecting design with coveted sellers and makers of vintage, antique, and contemporary furniture, home decor, art, jewelry, watches and fashion. DIBS also provides advertisement services. DIBS enables AI integration for its users and monitors its impact on the luxury design market.
1stdibs.Com has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 2.8% and 32.5%, respectively, for next year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for next year’s earnings has improved more than 100% over the last 30 days.