Thanksgiving Weekend Shopping: 197 Million Consumers Hit the Stores and Websites

An estimated 197 million shoppers participated in the five-day Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday holiday shopping weekend, according to the latest survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. This figure marks the second-highest turnout in the survey’s history, following last year’s record of 200.4 million, and exceeds NRF’s initial projection of 183.4 million shoppers.

NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay noted that Thanksgiving weekend remains a cornerstone of the holiday shopping season, emphasizing its importance for both consumers and retailers. He highlighted that despite the shortened shopping season and an abundance of early sales promotions, the weekend outperformed expectations in terms of shopper turnout.

Consumers favored convenience, with 126 million shopping in-store, an increase from 121.4 million last year, while 124.3 million shopped online, a slight decrease from 134.2 million in 2023. Black Friday retained its status as the top shopping day, drawing 81.7 million in-store shoppers, up from 76.2 million last year and the highest since the pandemic. Online, Black Friday saw 87.3 million shoppers, a slight decline from 90.6 million in 2023.

The shopping momentum continued on Saturday, which was the second-busiest day for in-store shopping, with 61.1 million consumers browsing and purchasing. Cyber Monday remained the second most popular day for online shopping, attracting 64.4 million consumers compared to 73.1 million in 2023. Mobile devices played an increasing role, with 63% of Cyber Monday shoppers using their phones, the highest percentage recorded since NRF began tracking this trend.

Top shopping destinations over the weekend included department stores and online platforms (42% each), followed by grocery stores (40%), clothing and accessories stores (37%), and discount stores (32%).

Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist pointed out that consumers were motivated by various factors, such as traditions, discounts, and shared experiences with loved ones. Features like free shipping, limited-time promotions, and positive reviews helped finalize many purchases.

Holiday gift shopping was a significant focus, with 86% of shoppers buying gifts and spending an average of $235, up $8 from last year. Popular gift categories included clothing and accessories (49%), toys (31%), gift cards (27%), food and candy (23%), and personal care or beauty items (23%).

With a shorter holiday shopping season, 38% of consumers took advantage of sales during the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Despite this, many still have holiday purchases to make, with 52% of their shopping lists yet to be completed.

NRF forecasts that overall holiday spending, defined as November 1 through December 31, will set new records, growing between 2.5% and 3.5% over last year, reaching an estimated total of $979.5 billion to $989 billion.

The survey, conducted between November 27 and December 1, sampled 3,055 adult consumers and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points. As a key source of insights for the retail sector, NRF continues to track consumer behavior and spending trends during critical shopping periods.

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