A record total of 186.9 million people plan to shop in the United States between Thanksgiving – which includes – and Cyber Monday this year, according to a consumer survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF), the main association of US retailers. Research carried out by Prosper Insights & Analytics found that the number rose by more than 3 million from the previous record of 183.4 million last year.
Although the deals span the entire five-day holiday weekend, Black Friday remains the most popular day to shop, research shows, with 70% of customers (130.4 million). The second most popular day continues to be Cyber Monday, with 40% (73.9 million) of consumers expecting to shop the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Of the 36% (67 million) of potential Saturday shoppers, 80% say they are considering shopping to support local businesses and Small Business Saturday.
FREE TOOL
XP simulator
Find out in 1 minute how much your money can yield
Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy at Prosper Insights & Analytics, noted that many Americans consider shopping an important part of the holiday and one of the best ways to get deals on gifts. “Of those who plan to take advantage of the sales, more than half say it’s because the deals are too good to pass up. Others point to tradition or simply say they like to start their holiday shopping during the long holiday season.”
In the opinion of Katherine Cullen, vice president of industry and consumer insights at NRF, the holiday season is an important part of many consumers’ budgets, and that trend is especially true this season. “As record numbers of shoppers are expected this Thanksgiving weekend, retailers are prepared to meet consumers’ needs with great value and convenience.”
According to the study, at the beginning of November, 58% of consumers said they had already started their holiday shopping, in line with the last five years. On average, holiday shoppers have already completed about a quarter (26%) of their planned purchases.
Continues after advertising
The top items consumers plan to gift are clothing and accessories (50%), gift cards (43%), and toys (32%). The main sources of inspiration continue to be online search (41%), friends and family (35%), within a retail store (28%) and wish lists (23%).
The NRF says total gift card spending is expected to reach $29.1 billion, an increase from $28.6 billion in 2024. Consumers plan to purchase between three and four gift cards and expect to spend an average of $171.32 per person. Restaurants remain the most popular gift card type (27%), followed by cards issued by banks (25%), department stores (25%), and coffee shops (20%).
For the fifth year in a row, debit cards (44%) remain the most popular payment method for purchasing holiday gifts, followed by credit cards at 37%, and cash at 16%. 59% of consumers plan to use digital wallets and apps, in line with recent years.
About two-thirds (67%) plan to embrace the spirit of giving and engage in at least one charitable activity, with the top ways being to donate financially to a charity or cause (32%), donate items to a charity or cause (31%), or purchase from retailers or brands that donate to social causes (20%).
Earlier this month, the NRF forecast that holiday spending is expected to exceed $1 trillion for the first time during November and December, with sales expected to grow between 3.7% and 4.2% from 2024. The figure translates into total spending between $1.01 trillion and $1.02 trillion.
