With Christmas just four days following Super Saturday, a substantial 69.5 million shoppers (44 per cent) are opting for both in-store and online shopping, up from 58.3 million (41 per cent) in 2023. Conversely, those shopping exclusively in-store have slightly declined to 49.4 million (31 per cent), from last year's 52.8 million (37 per cent). Meanwhile, online-only shoppers have increased to 38.2 million (24 per cent), from 30.8 million (22 per cent).
“Super Saturday is one of the last opportunities during the holiday season for consumers to get the remaining items on their shopping list,” NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights Katherine Cullen said in a press release. “With a shortened window between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, consumers will be hitting stores and shopping online to get those final gifts and to take advantage of special promotions and deals.”
Despite the shopping season being in full swing, many consumers have only completed half of their holiday shopping lists by early December. A significant 37 per cent reported they were still deciding on purchases, while 27 per cent were juggling other financial priorities, and 24 per cent were awaiting gift preferences from friends and family.
The primary shopping destinations remain online platforms (49 per cent), followed by department stores (37 per cent), discount stores (27 per cent), and clothing and accessory stores (25 per cent). Top purchased items so far include clothing and accessories, toys, gift cards, books, video games, and personal care or beauty products.
Post-Christmas shopping also remains robust, with 71 per cent of consumers planning to continue their shopping spree into the week following December 25. The primary motivations cited include taking advantage of holiday sales (48 per cent), spending gift cards (26 per cent), and returning or exchanging gifts (16 per cent), the release added.
The NRF has projected a holiday spending increase of between 2.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent over 2023, potentially reaching between $979.5 billion and $989 billion, setting a new record for the holiday season which spans from November 1 through December 31.
“Whether shoppers have planned out their shopping list or are waiting until the last minute, most shoppers still have purchases left to make before December 25,” Prosper Insights & Analytics executive vice president of strategy Phil Rist said. “As with last year, over half of consumers expect they will complete their shopping in the week leading up to the Christmas holiday.”
The survey, conducted from December 2-9 among 7,861 adults, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (KD)
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