According to the National Retail Federation, a record 196.7 million consumers across the United States shopped in stores and online during the five-day holiday shopping period from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday.
More than 122.7 million consumers shopped at brick-and-mortar stores over the Thanksgiving shopping period, up 17% from 2021. The number of online shoppers grew by 2% versus the year-earlier period to 130.2 million digital shoppers.
About 72.9 million consumers shopping on Black Friday opted for in-store shopping, up from 66.5 million in 2021. The Saturday after Thanksgiving followed suit, with 63.4 million shoppers hitting bricks and mortar stores, up from 51 million last year. Of Saturday shoppers, 77% indicated they shopped specifically for the Small Business Saturday occasion.
Black Friday also remains a big e-commerce occasion, with 87.2 million consumers shopping digitally this year, in line with 2021. With 77 million consumers participating in all, Cyber Monday set a shopping pace similar to the 2021 tempo, NRF pointed out. A record 59% of online Cyber Monday shoppers used mobile devices, up from 52% in the year before, NRF added.
The top retail destinations for Thanksgiving weekend shoppers were websites, at 42%, department stores, at 42%, grocery stores and supermarkets, at 40%, clothing and accessories stores, at 36%, and discount stores, at 32%.
Consumers spent an average of $325.44 in holiday-related purchasing in the Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday timeframe, NRF maintained, up from $301.27 in 2021. Of that amount, almost $229.21, went to gifts. Top gifting categories were clothing and accessories, purchased by 50% of survey respondents, toys, by 31%, gift cards, by 27%, books/video games/other media, by 24%, food and candy, by 23%, and electronics, by 23%.
At 90%, the majority of Thanksgiving weekend shoppers responding to the survey said the deals were the same or better than last year.
NRF noted that early deals and sales did prompt quite a bit of shopping by mid-November as 56% of survey respondents said they had taken advantage of early holiday sales or promotions before Thanksgiving this year. Indeed, 24% did so before November 16 while another 36% shopped in the week leading up to Thanksgiving.
However, many consumers still intend to do the bulk of their shopping as November ends and into December, NRF stated.
In introducing the survey results, Prosper executive vp of strategy Phil Rist said. “On average, consumers say they are almost halfway, 47%, done with their holiday shopping at this point in time, leaving plenty of room for additional purchases in the remaining weeks of the year.”
NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay, said, “As inflationary pressures persist, consumers have responded by stretching their dollars in any way possible. Retailers have responded accordingly, offering shoppers a season of buying convenience, matching sales and promotions across online and in-store channels to accommodate their customers at each interaction.”
Shay acknowledged that rising prices have been a consideration as regards holiday sales in 2022.
Still, he asserted, “It is important to note that while some may claim that retail sales gains are the result of higher prices, they must acknowledge the historic growth in consumers who are shopping in-store and online during the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend and into Cyber Monday. It is consumer demand that is driving growth.”
