What You Need to Know
A record 202.9 million consumers shopped during the five day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, up from 197 million last year and beating the prior record of 200.4 million. The National Retail Federation and Prosper survey of 3,099 adults, conducted Nov. 26 to Nov. 30, shows strong in store and online turnout: 129.5 million shopped in stores, up 3%, and 134.9 million shopped online, up 9%. Black Friday stayed the top day for both channels, while Cyber Monday drew 75.9 million online shoppers and mobile led with 46.9 million users. Saturday and Sunday activity rose notably, with Sunday in store shopping hitting a record 32.6 million, a 27% increase from 2024.
Nearly all shoppers, 96%, bought holiday related items and spent an average of $337.86, up from $315.56 last year. You spent roughly $225.74 on gifts on average. Clothing and accessories led gift purchases at 51%, followed by toys at 32% and books and media at 28%, which overtook gift cards. Supermarkets and online channels were the top destinations, and NRF says 84% of consumers have started holiday shopping while about 53% of purchases remain. NRF forecasts total holiday spending will pass $1 trillion with growth between 3.7% and 4.2% over 2024. If you plan to shop, expect heavy online and mobile traffic and strong activity across stores.
