A total of 197 million consumers shopped during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, over 13 million more than the National Retail Federation (NRF) predicted.
The figure is also the second-highest number in the survey’s history after last year’s record 200.4 million shoppers, the NRF said Tuesday. The organization had originally anticipated 183.4 million.
The number of consumers who purchased in stores between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday rose 3.8% year on year to 126 million, while those who shopped wholly online slipped 7% to 124.3 million, according to a survey the NRF conducted with Prosper Insights & Analytics.
“Thanksgiving weekend retains its prominence among holiday spending events and continues to play a significant role in the holiday season for both consumers and retailers,” said NRF CEO Matthew Shay. “Even with this year’s shortened shopping period and the multitude of early sales promotions from retailers, this past weekend exceeded expectations in terms of the sheer volume of shoppers.”
Black Friday prevailed as the most popular day for both in-store and online shopping, according to the survey, with 81.7 million buyers at brick-and-mortar locations, compared with 76.2 million the year before, and the highest level since the pandemic. Some 61.1 million consumers purchased in physical stores on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the second-highest figure for in-store shopping. While Cyber Monday remains the second-most-popular day for online shopping, attracting 64.4 million consumers, the figure fell from last year’s 73.1 million.
Overall, the 86% of consumers who bought gifts spent an average of $235 on them over the five-day period, $8 more than last year. Online and department stores were the most common shopping destinations, according to respondents. The top gift choice, which nearly half of those surveyed picked, was clothing and accessories — including jewelry. Some 31% bought toys, while 27% opted for gift cards, and 23% chose food and candy. Personal care or beauty items were the top priority for 23% of respondents. Some 38% said they took advantage of early holiday sales and promotions.
“Whether it’s tradition, the deals or simply an activity with friends and family, consumers continue to embrace Thanksgiving holiday weekend shopping,” said Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy at Prosper Analytics. “Additional offerings like free shipping, a limited sale or promotion, or a positive review helped convince most shoppers to move items from their shopping carts to the purchase finish line.”
Sales for the full November-to-December holiday period will grow 2.5% to 3.5% to between $979.5 billion and $989 billion, the NRF forecast.
Image: A crowded shopping mall. (Shutterstock)
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