- A record 202.9 million consumers shopped during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend through Cyber Monday, increasing from 197 million from last year and exceeding the 186.9 million predicted to shop, according to a new report from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The number also exceeded the previous record of 200.4 million set in 2023.
- Black Friday remained the top shopping day for both in-store and online, with NRF counting 80.3 million in-store shoppers and 85.7 million online shoppers that day, a slight dip from last year’s 81.7 million and 87.3 million respectively.
- Cyber Monday continues to be the second most popular day for online shopping, with 75.9 million shopping digitally that day, up from 64.4 million in 2024.
As of the Thanksgiving weekend, 84% of consumers had already begun their holiday shopping. However, similar to last year, shoppers still have a little over half (53%) of their holiday shopping remaining.
The Thanksgiving holidays brought the retail deals this year and many consumers took advantage of these offers to start their holiday shopping. The research found that 84% of consumers have already begun holiday shopping. The report also found that 96% of those shopping over the weekend made a holiday-related purchase and spent an average of $337.86 on gifts and seasonal purchases, up from $315.56 last year.
The top gifts bought over the weekend include: clothing and accessories (51%), toys (32%), books and other media (28%), up from 22% last year and gift cards (26%).
“Thanksgiving weekend is an important time for families and friends to come together, and holiday shopping plays a key role in that shared experience,” said Matthew Shay, CEO and president of NRF. “This year’s record turnout reflects a highly engaged consumer who is focused on value, responds to compelling promotions, and seizes upon the opportunity to make the winter holidays special and meaningful.”
