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An estimated 141 million unique shoppers shopped during Thanksgiving weekend, up from 139 million over the same time frame last year, according to the National Retail Federation.
For those who shopped multiple times over the weekend, the survey estimated more than 248 million waited in line, took advantage of big discounts offered throughout the mall and shopped on retailers’ websites, up from 247 million shoppers last year.
According to a National Retail Federation survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics over the weekend, traffic on Thanksgiving Day itself grew 27 percent as nearly 45 million shoppers, or 31.8 percent of holiday shoppers, took advantage of special Thanksgiving savings offers, up from 35 million in 2012. Black Friday was the biggest day: more than 92 million people shopped (65.2 percent) for apparel, electronics and more, up from nearly 89 million last year.
On average, shoppers spent $407.02 from Thursday through Sunday (planned), down from $423.55 last year. Total spending is estimated to reach $57.4 billion.
“Cold weather, unique promotions and unbeatable prices put millions of Americans in the mood to shop for holiday gifts this weekend,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Retailers’ late night and early morning promotions struck just the right chord for those hoping to kick off the holiday shopping season with friends and family. With only a few weeks until the big day, retailers will continue to aggressively promote their in-store and online offerings, looking to entice today’s very budget-conscious and value-focused shopper.”
One-quarter of holiday shoppers say they were at stores by 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving night; nearly four in 10 were at stores by midnight, up from 28.0 percent last year.
