Americans broke a record for spending on Black Friday, but it is just hiding a bigger problem for the economy

• Online shopping on Black Friday totaled $9.8 billion, up 7.5% from last year.
• Many are delaying the cost as buy now, pay later programs are expected to have their biggest month ever.
• This could lead to bigger problems in the spring when these bills start coming due.

Americans set an online spending record on Black Friday, but a closer look at the numbers and trends suggests consumer spending is not as strong as it looks — and may be masking the bigger problem of accruing more debt.

According to Adobe, which tracks online sales, online shopping on Black Friday totaled $9.8 billion, up 7.5% from last year. Adobe estimates US shoppers will further spend as much as $12.4 billion on Cyber Monday.