Dive Brief:
- As the end of the holiday season approaches, the National Retail Federation predicts that nearly 142 million consumers will shop on Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas, according to a Wednesday press release. The prediction comes from a survey of 7,973 adult consumers.
- This year’s Super Saturday turnout is expected to be lower than last year’s 158.5 million consumers but higher than 2017, which is the last time that Super Saturday fell on Dec. 23 (that year, 126.1 million people shopped). More than a third (37%) of Super Saturday shoppers plan to buy in stores only, while 41% will shop both online and in stores, and only 22% plan to shop online only.
- As shoppers finish up their holiday purchases, half of survey respondents have already bought clothing and accessories as gifts, followed by toys (34%), gift cards (27%), books and other media (24%) and personal care or beauty items (23%), according to the NRF.
Dive Insight:
Though consumers are expected to head to stores just before Christmas, they are also planning to return after the holiday, according to the NRF’s findings. Seven in ten respondents anticipate shopping the week after Dec. 25. Among the reasons why they’re shopping after Christmas are to catch holiday sales and promotions (48%), use their gift cards (26%) and exchange holiday items and unwanted gifts (16%), according to the report.
“Traditionally, Super Saturday marks the final major shopping holiday of the year,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement. “While most consumers still have plenty of shopping left to do, retailers are prepared both online and in stores with gifts, decorations and other items that people need to make this season fun and memorable.”
Though the number of late holiday shoppers is expected to decline compared to last year, this holiday season brought an increase in Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday shoppers, according to the NRF. The trade group said earlier this year that 200.4 million consumers shopped between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, up from 196.7 million a year ago. The number of online shoppers also increased year over year to 134.2 million from 130.2 million in 2022.
The NRF predicts that this year’s holiday sales growth will be modest. The trade group said last month that holiday spending between November and December would grow between 3% and 4% from the year prior to between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion. The organization also predicted that consumers will spend an average of $875 this year on gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal purchases.
