Near-record number of consumers participated in holiday weekend shopping

Posted by author December 4, 2024 Shopping

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FRANKFORT, Ky. (WBKO) – According to an annual survey released this week by the National Retail Federation, the five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday saw an estimated 197 million shoppers.

This surpassed NRF’s initial expectations of 183.4 million shoppers.

According to the press release, this figure ranks as the second-highest total in the survey’s history, after last year’s record of 200.4 million shoppers.

“Kentucky retailers were excited to provide strong selection, value, and service during the very popular Thanksgiving shopping weekend,” said Kentucky Retail Federation (KRF) president Tod Griffin in a press release. “From Main Street to the mall, our dedicated retailers are proud to help Kentuckians find the special gifts for everyone on their Christmas list.”

The survey found that Black Friday remains the most popular day for both in-store and online shopping. This year, 81.7 million consumers shopped in-store (the highest number since the pandemic) and 87.3 million consumers shopped online, per the release.

Cyber Monday continues to be the second most popular day for online shopping, attracting 64.4 million consumers this year. Approximately 63% of shoppers utilized their mobile devices this year.

Survey respondents were evenly split regarding in-store vs. online shopping. According to the release, 126 million were shopping in-store, and 124.3 million shopped online.

Participants listed their top shopping destinations during Thanksgiving weekend as: department stores, online, grocery stores and supermarkets, clothing and accessories stores, and discount stores.

The most popular gifts purchased during this period included: clothing and accessories, toys, gift cards, food and candy, and personal care or beauty items.

“Please remember to support your local community retailers this holiday season,” Griffin added. “And when shopping online, be sure to take into account the six fewer calendar days between Black Friday and Christmas Eve this year to ensure your orders arrive in time for gift giving.”

The survey was conducted on Nov. 27-Dec. 1. The NRF survey polled 3,055 adult consumers about their holiday shopping habits.