The Thanksgiving holiday weekend, which spans from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, saw an estimated 197 million shoppers, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. This marks the second-highest number of shoppers in the history of NRF’s survey, just shy of last year’s record of 200.4 million shoppers. This exceeded NRF’s initial expectation of 183.4 million shoppers.
Matthew Shay, President and CEO of NRF, remarked, “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. 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.”
In-Store and Online Shopping Trends
In-store shoppers: 126 million consumers visited stores, up from 121.4 million in 2023.
Online shoppers: 124.3 million consumers shopped online, a slight decrease from 134.2 million last year.
Despite the rise of online shopping, Black Friday continues to dominate as the most popular shopping day, with 81.7 million consumers shopping in stores, an increase from 76.2 million in 2023. Online shoppers on Black Friday numbered 87.3 million, down from 90.6 million in 2023.
Saturday: The second highest in-store shopping day, with 61.1 million shoppers.
Cyber Monday: The second most popular online shopping day, with 64.4 million shoppers, compared to 73.1 million in 2023.
Notably, mobile shopping grew significantly, with 63% of Cyber Monday online shoppers using mobile devices, up from 55% last year and the highest since NRF began tracking the data.
Top Shopping Destinations
- Department stores (42%)
- Online retailers (42%)
- Grocery stores and supermarkets (40%)
- Clothing and accessories stores (37%)
- Discount stores (32%)
Consumers continued to embrace the tradition of Thanksgiving weekend shopping, driven by deals, promotions, and family activities. Many shoppers were encouraged to complete their purchases by offers such as free shipping and limited-time promotions, according to Phil Rist, Executive Vice President of Strategy at Prosper Insights & Analytics.
Holiday Shopping Trends and Gift Purchases
As in previous years, a majority of shoppers focused on buying gifts during this period. 86% of shoppers made gift purchases, spending an average of $235 on gifts — $8 more than in 2023. The most popular gift categories included:
- Clothing and accessories (49%)
- Toys (31%)
- Gift cards (27%)
- Food and candy (23%)
- Personal care and beauty items (23%)
Despite the crowded shopping weekend, many consumers still have plenty of shopping to do. 52% of shoppers reported having half of their holiday shopping left to complete.
Holiday Season Outlook
Despite a shorter shopping window this year, the NRF projects record levels of holiday spending, forecasting a growth of 2.5% to 3.5% over 2023, with total holiday sales reaching between $979.5 billion and $989 billion.
The NRF’s survey, conducted from November 27 to December 1, included responses from 3,055 adult consumers and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.
For more information on the holiday season, visit the NRF Winter Holiday Headquarters.
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