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U.S. app stores had their biggest day ever on Black Friday as consumers spent nearly $76 million

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By Alan Friedman

Published: Nov 30, 2018, 11:38 AM

U.S. app stores had their biggest day ever on Black Friday as consumers spent nearly $76 million

We already know from an earlier report made by Adobe, that $2.1 billion in sales were made on smartphones during Black Friday. But a new report released today by Sensor Tower reveals that U.S. mobile app stores set sales record exactly one week ago today. For example, on Black Friday U.S. consumers spent a record $52 million at the Apple App store, up 31.6% over last year. An additional $117.3 million was spent on App Store apps by iOS users outside the U.S. Combined, the total amount spent globally at the App Store on Black Friday was $169.3 million, an 18.4% gain over last year's figure.

Over at the Google Play Store, Sensor Tower estimates that U.S. Android users spent $23.9 million on apps during Black Friday. That means that a record-breaking $75.9 million was spent on mobile apps in the U.S. last Friday.

At the App Store, 68% of the revenue, or $35.4 million, was spent on mobile games. That was a 63% increase over the previous Friday. Sensor Tower says that the jump in sales was helped along by discounts on in-app purchases and bundles. Besides games, the App Store's Food & Drink sector did well on Black Friday with a 34% gain in revenues from the previous Friday. This category was led by the NYT Cooking app. And Sports apps saw their top line rise an impressive 49% over the previous Friday with ESPN: Live Sports and Scores leading the way.

On Black Friday, Apple App Store customers were also redeeming gift cards purchased at a discount. One promotion listed on eBay by PayPal offered consumers a $100 Apple App Store and iTunes gift card for $85.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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