American shoppers showed the kind of grit and common-sense judgment that politicians in Washington always talk about but rarely foster, spending a record $257.8 billion online during the 2025 holiday season — a 6.8 percent increase from the year before. That figure proves once again that when Americans have money in their pockets and retailers offer real bargains, commerce thrives and families win.
The most striking driver behind the surge wasn’t some government program or a costly stimulus check, it was technology — specifically generative AI tools and chatbots that helped people find deals and make buying decisions faster than ever. Traffic to retail sites from AI tools exploded by roughly 693 percent year over year, showing that private-sector innovation, not more regulation, is reshaping how Americans shop.
Buy-Now-Pay-Later services also hit a milestone, accounting for about $20 billion in sales and proving consumers want flexible options, especially on smartphones where the majority of purchases now occur. While conservatives should applaud market solutions that expand choice and convenience, we must not turn a blind eye to the long-term risks of piling up easy credit and encouraging impulse spending.
Discounts and competition pushed people to “trade up” into higher-ticket items, meaning retailers won by offering value and shoppers won with better goods for their hard-earned dollars. This is the free market at work: aggressive pricing, smart marketing, and innovation drive prosperity — exactly the policies that should be encouraged instead of strangled by heavy-handed regulation.
It’s worth noting who benefits from the AI boom: big tech platforms and the giants that integrate their tools into shopping experiences. While partnerships between retailers and AI firms are improving convenience, they also consolidate power and data in the hands of a few corporations that answer to shareholders, not Main Street. Conservative watchdogs ought to demand transparency and competition to keep these players honest and prevent monopolistic behavior.
The lesson for policymakers is simple: empower entrepreneurship, protect consumers from predatory credit practices like irresponsible BNPL use, and insist on privacy safeguards so Americans can enjoy technological progress without surrendering control of their personal information. Washington’s job should be to clear the runway for innovation while enforcing the rules of fair play, not to pick winners or hamstring retailers with needless red tape.
Hardworking Americans deserve a marketplace that rewards thrift and ingenuity, not a future where convenience becomes an excuse for unchecked surveillance or debt. Celebrate the record, demand accountability from the companies building these AI systems, and push for common-sense reforms that protect families, preserve competition, and keep the American economy strong.
