Clothing and accessories (51 per cent) remained the most purchased gifts.
Shoppers were active both online and in stores. In-store traffic reached 129.5 million, up three per cent from 2024, while online shoppers jumped nine per cent to 134.9 million. Black Friday remained the biggest shopping day, drawing 80.3 million in-store and 85.7 million online visitors, just slightly below last year.
Weekend activity picked up sharply. Saturday saw 62.7 million in-store shoppers, while Sunday set a new record with 32.6 million in-store visitors, up 27 per cent from 2024. Online, Sunday drew 38.7 million shoppers compared with 32.8 million last year. Cyber Monday attracted 75.9 million online shoppers, with 46.9 million using mobile devices, up from 40.4 million in 2024.
Top destinations included supermarkets (47 per cent), online platforms (45 per cent), department stores (40 per cent), clothing stores (37 per cent) and discount outlets (30 per cent). Almost all weekend shoppers (96 per cent) made a holiday-related purchase, spending an average of $337.86, the highest since 2019. Gifts accounted for $225.74 of that amount.
“Thanksgiving weekend is an important time for families and friends to come together, and holiday shopping plays a key role in that shared experience,” NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said in a release. “This year’s record turnout reflects a highly engaged consumer who is focused on value, responds to compelling promotions, and seizes upon the opportunity to make the winter holidays special and meaningful.”
“Consumers continue to take advantage of the extended holiday shopping weekend with online deals on Cyber Monday,” Prosper executive vice president of strategy Phil Rist said. “Whether it’s new clothes or shoes, the season’s top toy, a new video game or a classic novel, shoppers are looking for that perfect gift for loved ones. They will continue to shop across the devices and destinations that best fit their needs throughout the busy holiday season.”
By the end of the weekend, 84 per cent of consumers had already begun their holiday shopping, though they still had 53 per cent of their purchases left to complete. NRF expects holiday spending between November 1 and December 31 to surpass $1 trillion for the first time, with growth of 3.7 to 4.2 per cent.
The findings are based on a survey of 3,099 adults conducted from November 26-30, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (KD)
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