American families proved once again that when discounts and convenience line up, they spend — a lot. Adobe Analytics reports U.S. online holiday spending hit a record $257.8 billion for the 2025 season, driven in large part by new shopping tools powered by generative AI. That surge shows the market is resilient, even as elites in Washington and the media rush to rewrite the rules of commerce.
The data make it plain that AI is no fringe novelty — traffic to retail sites from generative AI tools jumped a staggering 693.4% over last year while smartphones accounted for 56.4% of transactions. Consumers also leaned on Buy Now, Pay Later options, which hit $20 billion during the season, letting families stretch budgets when needed. These are concrete shifts in how Americans shop, not Silicon Valley slogans, and they demand sober attention from business leaders and policymakers alike.
Big retailers and big tech wasted no time moving to control this new shopping frontier, partnering with AI platforms to make “agentic commerce” the default pathway from question to purchase. Salesforce’s analysis suggests AI and agents influenced hundreds of billions in sales globally, showing these tools already shape what Americans buy and where they buy it. Conservatives should welcome innovation, but we must also question who benefits when gatekeepers stand between shoppers and small businesses.
There are real reasons for skepticism: major platforms have faced pushback after surfacing competitors’ products without consent, and the power to steer traffic can be weaponized against independent merchants. When a handful of companies become the first stop for billions of shopping queries, that concentration risks squeezing out local shops and imposing hidden fees or unfair terms. Protecting Main Street means scrutinizing deals done behind closed doors in Silicon Valley boardrooms.
Meanwhile, the rise of BNPL and mobile-first shopping means many Americans will be paying for holiday bargains months into the new year, a reality that calls for clarity, not cheerleading. Flexible payments can help families, but without strong consumer protections they can become a pathway to mounting, opaque debt — and the data show their usage is only growing. Conservatives who believe in personal responsibility should also insist on fair disclosure and accountability from the firms pushing these products.
Let’s not pretend the economy exists in a political vacuum. Even as shoppers pushed spending higher, broader pressures like inflation and tariff-driven price increases affected choices — proof that policy matters to pocketbooks. Americans didn’t spend out of recklessness; they hunted deals, traded up where discounts were deep, and used tools that made that possible despite higher prices. That practical thrift should be applauded, not lectured to by bureaucrats who think consumption habits are a parlor game.
The record numbers should be a wake-up call to legislators and regulators: embrace innovation, yes, but don’t let a few dominant players rewrite market rules to their advantage. We need commonsense oversight that preserves competition, protects consumers from predatory payment practices, and keeps the path to customers open for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The last thing hardworking Americans need is another monopoly deciding what they can buy and at what price.
At the end of the day, this season’s record spending is a tribute to American resilience and ingenuity — shoppers finding value, retailers fighting for attention, and technology delivering new tools. Conservatives should celebrate that spirit while standing firm for fair markets, transparent practices, and policies that favor citizens over corporate gatekeepers. If Washington remembers who it is supposed to serve, the next business boom will be one led by Americans, not algorithms.
