More Than 70% of Americans Went Shopping Last Weekend

Thanksgiving kicked off an American shopping spree, with 174 million shoppers in stores and online through Cyber Monday.

November 30, 2017

WASHINGTON – From Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, more than 174 million Americans shopped in stores and online during the just-concluded holiday weekend, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

Average spending per person over the five-day period was $335.47, with $250.78—75%—specifically going toward gifts. The biggest spenders were older millennials (25 to 34 years old) at $419.52.

“All the fundamentals were in place for consumers to take advantage of incredible deals and promotions retailers had to offer,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a press release. “From good weather across the country to low unemployment and strong consumer confidence, the climate was right, literally and figuratively, for consumers to tackle their holiday shopping lists online and in stores.”

The most popular day for in-store shopping was Black Friday, cited by 77 million consumers, followed by Small Business Saturday with 55 million consumers. The top two days that consumers shopped online were Cyber Monday with more than 81 million and Black Friday with more than 66 million. In addition, 63% of smartphone owners used their mobile devices to make holiday decisions, and 29% used their phones to make actual purchases.

Top shopping destinations included department stores (43%), online retailers (42%), electronic stores (32%), clothing and accessories stores (31%) and discount stores (also 31%). Some of the most popular gifts purchased included clothing or accessories (58%), toys (38%), books and other media (31%), electronics (30%) and gift cards (23%).

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