NRF: Holiday Weekend Shopping Drops 5.2 Percent from 2013 (Dec. 1, 2014)
Holiday shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend was slightly lower than the previous year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. Overall shopper traffic from Thanksgiving Day through Sunday, Nov. 30, dropped 5.2 percent compared with 2013 (133.7 million unique holiday shoppers versus 141.1 million in 2013). Total shopping, which accounts for multiple trips by the same shopper, also was down this past weekend (233.3 million versus 248.6 million), according to the results of the survey of 4,631 consumers released Sunday and conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics Nov. 28-29. Consumers who shopped or said they would shop the holiday weekend planned to spend $380.95 on average, down 6.4 percent from $407.02 last year, according to the survey. Total holiday weekend spending is expected to reach $50.9 billion, down from last year’s estimated $57.4 billion.
The survey also indicates that among consumers shopping online, 46.7 percent shopped on Black Friday, 36.3 percent shopped on Saturday and more than one-fourth of shoppers were online Thanksgiving Day. More than 45 percent of smartphone owners used their device to research products, look up retailer information, purchase items, redeem coupons and use apps to research or purchase items, similar to last year’s 46.4 percent, and 47.4 percent of tablet owners have already used or will use their tablets to make purchase decisions, down from 52.1 percent a year ago.
Expectations for Cyber Monday also are down, with 126.9 million (52.3 percent) of shoppers planning to shop online today, compared with the 131.6 million who planned to participate last year, according to the NRF Cyber Monday Expectations Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics over the weekend.
“For today’s shopper, every day is ‘Cyber Monday,’ and consumers want and expect great deals, especially online, throughout the entire holiday season—and they know retailers will deliver,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Retailers will still offer unique deals exclusive to Cyber Monday, but consumers also know shopping on Cyber Monday won’t be their last chance to find low prices and exclusive promotions.” The NRF’s annual holiday sales forecast remains strong at 4.1 percent higher than last year, and Shay wrote in a blog today that the association is highly optimistic retailers will see that growth.
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