Thanksgiving Weekend Shopping Falls to 197 Million

Approximately 197 million Americans shopped from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday this year, marking a 1.7% decrease from 2023's record but exceeding initial expectations of 183.4 million shoppers. While in-store shopping increased by 3.8% to 126 million, online shopping fell by 7.4% to 124.3 million. Consumers spent an average of $235 during the weekend, with apparel and accessories being the top purchases, followed by toys and personal care items. Black Friday was the peak shopping day, with roughly 81.7 million shopping in stores and about 87.3 million online. Retailers responded to changing shopping habits by offering aggressive promotions, with Walmart and Target highlighting major discounts. Despite the decline in overall shoppers, the NRF expects holiday sales growth to slow as consumers remain selective amid ongoing economic pressures.