The National Retail Federation reports that 66 percent of Americans, roughly 155.7 million people, plan to shop this Saturday in the biggest shopping day of the holiday season. Known as Super Saturday, December 17 will see more potential shoppers than Thanksgiving weekend, at least according a survey conducted by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
“While many consumers got a head start with holiday shopping by taking advantage of extraordinary sales over Thanksgiving weekend, more shopping and great deals are yet to come,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay says. “We expect retailers will once again be competitive on price and value options in the final stretch, especially on Super Saturday.”
According to the survey’s findings, only 1 in 10 consumers have finished holiday shopping, leaving 90 percent of consumers still seeking gifts, food, décor, and other holiday items.
Other interesting findings from the survey:
- Of those consumers that have completed half or less of their holiday shopping say it is because they are still deciding what to buy (44.7 percent) or waiting for requests from loved ones (27.2 percent).
- More than 38 percent said they plan to purchase the last holiday gift sometime before December 18th, up from 33 percent last year. 12 percent of consumers said that they are planning to wait until December 23rd.
- As far as the source of last-minute holiday gifts: online (52 percent), department stores (42 percent), discount stores (27 percent), clothing or accessories stores (21 percent), electronics stores (18 percent), local/small business (14 percent) and grocery/supermarket stores (13 percent).
- Once the holiday season ends, 48 percent of consumers are planning to take advantage of in-store after-Christmas sales (up from 47 percent last year) and 44 percent are planning to shop online (up from 43 percent last year).
Bakeries and other foodservice establishments will look to gain from this big weekend as well. Not only will consumers be looking to dine before, during, and after their holiday shopping, but they will also look to these places for foods, beverages, and gift cards for the people on their lists.