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Nearly 197 Million Shoppers Hit Stores + Websites Over Thanksgiving Weekend

An estimated 197 million consumers shopped over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. While slightly below last year’s record of 200.4 million, the turnout exceeded NRF’s forecast of 183.4 million shoppers.

Eyecare Business December 5, 2024

Dec. 5, 2024 — An estimated 197 million consumers shopped over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. While slightly below last year’s record of 200.4 million, the turnout exceeded NRF’s forecast of 183.4 million shoppers.

Approximately 126 million consumers visited brick-and-mortar locations, up from 121.4 million last year, with online shoppers totaling 124.3 million, a decline from 134.2 million in 2023.

Black Friday remained the most popular day for shopping, with 81.7 million people visiting stores—the highest level since before the pandemic and up from 76.2 million last year. Online Black Friday shopping saw 87.3 million participants, down slightly from 90.6 million in 2023.

Saturday ranked second for in-store activity, with 61.1 million shoppers. On Cyber Monday, 64.4 million consumers shopped online, compared with 73.1 million in 2023. Notably, mobile devices played an increasing role, with 63% of Cyber Monday shoppers using their phones—up from 55% last year and the highest since NRF began tracking this trend.

Top shopping locations over the weekend included department stores (42%), online platforms (42%), grocery stores (40%), clothing retailers (37%), and discount stores (32%). Consumers spent an average of $235 on gifts, up $8 from last year, with 86% of shoppers purchasing holiday presents.

The most sought-after gifts included clothing and accessories (49%), toys (31%), gift cards (27%), food and candy (23%), and personal care or beauty items (23%).

The survey found that 38% of shoppers had taken advantage of sales leading up to the Thanksgiving weekend, but with half of their holiday shopping still unfinished, retailers are expected to see strong activity in the remaining weeks of the season, NRF shares.

The holiday shopping period is defined as Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. The NRF predicts holiday spending will reach record levels this year, with growth between 2.5% and 3.5% over 2023, totaling $979.5 billion to $989 billion.