Thanksgiving Weekend to See Record 183M Shoppers

Roughly 183.4 million US consumers plan to shop in-store or online over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend this year, a rise of more than 11 million from 2023.  

The estimate, reported as part of a survey the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights and Analytics conducted, is the highest since the NRF began tracking data in 2017, it said last week. More than half of all respondents plan to shop during the five-day period, with 57% citing deals that are “too good to pass up.” Some 28% of those surveyed noted that tradition drove their holiday shopping.  

“Even though holiday shopping continues to pull forward, some of the busiest shopping days of the year are during the five-day Thanksgiving weekend,” said Katherine Cullen, NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights. “Consumers are prioritizing gift-giving for the most important people in their lives, and retailers are prepared to help customers find everything on their shopping lists at great prices throughout the season.” 

Black Friday remains the most popular shopping day of the period, with 72%, or 131.7 million consumers, set to make purchases. About 65% of those expect to visit stores in person. Cyber Monday is the second most popular day, with 39%, or 72.3 million people, intending to shop online. 

Early shopping trends continue to grow, with 58% of consumers reporting they had started their holiday shopping by early November, completing an average of 25% of their purchases. 

“Younger shoppers are especially likely to take advantage of Thanksgiving weekend deals this year, with 89% of adults aged 18 to 24 planning to shop,” said Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy at Prosper. “For this age group, the social aspect of holiday shopping is also important, as they often shop as a group activity with friends and family.” 

Total holiday sales for the November-to-December period will grow 2.5% to 3.5% year on year, reaching between $979.5 billion to $989 billion, the NRF forecast. The federation surveyed 8,135 adult consumers from November 1 to 7.

Image: People unloading purchased gifts. (Shutterstock)

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