Thanksgiving weekend expected to bring record 186.9 million shoppers, retail group says
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A record 186.9 million people are expected to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year, according to a consumer survey released Wednesday by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The total surpasses last year’s record of 183.4 million by more than 3 million shoppers.
“The holidays are an important part of many consumers’ budgets, and that trend is especially true this season,” NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen said. “As a record number of shoppers are expected this Thanksgiving weekend, retailers are prepared to meet the needs of consumers with great value and convenience.”
Black Friday remains the most popular day of the five-day shopping stretch, with 130.4 million people, or 70%, planning to shop. Cyber Monday follows with 73.9 million shoppers, while 67 million are expected to shop on Saturday. Of those planning to shop Saturday, 80% say they will do so to support local businesses for Small Business Saturday.
“Many Americans consider shopping to be an important part of their Thanksgiving holiday and one of the best ways to get deals on gifts,” said Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy for Prosper Insights & Analytics. “Of those planning to take advantage of sales, over half say it’s because the deals are too good to pass up. Others point to the tradition or simply say they like to start their holiday shopping during the long weekend.”
As of early November, 58% of consumers reported they had already begun their holiday shopping, consistent with recent years. Shoppers say they have completed about 26% of their planned purchases.
The most popular planned gifts include clothing and accessories (50%), gift cards (43%) and toys (32%). Top sources of gift inspiration include online searches (41%), friends and family (35%), browsing in stores (28%) and wish lists (23%).
Gift card spending is expected to reach $29.1 billion, up from $28.6 billion in 2024. Consumers say they will buy between three and four gift cards at an average of $171.32 per person. Restaurants are the top choice for gift cards (27%), followed by bank-issued cards (25%), department stores (25%) and coffee shops (20%).
Debit cards remain the most common way to pay for holiday gifts at 44%, followed by credit cards at 37% and cash at 16%. Fifty-nine percent plan to use digital wallets or payment apps.
About 67% of consumers say they will engage in at least one charitable activity this season, including donating money (32%), giving items to a charity (31%) or shopping with retailers that support social causes (20%).
The survey of 8,000 adults was conducted Oct. 31–Nov. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
Earlier this month, NRF projected that holiday spending in November and December will exceed $1 trillion for the first time, with sales expected to grow between 3.7% and 4.2% over 2024.
