A record 202.9 million consumers shopped during the five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, according to the annual consumer survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The figure is up from 197 million shoppers in 2024 and surpasses the previous record of 200.4 million set in 2023. The total also exceeds NRF’s initial expectations of 186.9 million shoppers over the holiday weekend.
“Thanksgiving weekend is an important time for families and friends to come together, and holiday shopping plays a key role in that shared experience,” says NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “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.”
Consumers shopped both in-store and online throughout the five-day weekend. A total of 129.5 million consumers shopped in-store, up 3% from 126 million in 2024. NRF reports that 134.9 million shoppers made purchases online, up 9% from 124.3 million shoppers in 2024.
However, shoppers ramped up their activity throughout the weekend. NRF reports that Saturday drew in 62.7 million in-store shoppers, up slightly from 61.1 million in 2024, and 63 million online, compared with 53.9 million in 2024. Notably, the Sunday after Thanksgiving drew a record 32.6 million in-store shoppers, a 27% increase over the 25.6 million shoppers in 2024, and 38.7 million shopped online on Sunday, compared with 32.8 million in 2024.
Cyber Monday continues to be the second most popular day for online shopping, according to NRF. This year, 75.9 million people shopped online on Cyber Monday, compared with 64.4 million in 2024. Mobile remains the most popular way for online shoppers to browse and buy on Cyber Monday, with 46.9 million consumers shopping online via their mobile device, up from 40.4 million in 2024.
Top shopping destinations during Thanksgiving weekend included supermarkets (47%) and online stores (45%). Other popular destinations included department stores (40%), clothing stores (37%) and discount stores (30%).
According to NRF, nearly all (96%) of the people shopping over the weekend made a holiday-related purchase, spending $337.86 on average on items such as gifts, holiday apparel, decorations and other seasonal purchases. This is up from $315.56 in 2024 and is the highest figure NRF has reported since 2019’s record of $361.90. Approximately 67% ($225.74) was spent on gifts during the holiday weekend.
Top gifts purchased during the holiday weekend were clothing and accessories (51%), followed by toys (32%). Books and other media (28%) saw an increase from 22% in 2024, and surpassed gift cards (26%) as the third most popular gift purchased during the weekend.
“Consumers continue to take advantage of the extended holiday shopping weekend with online deals on Cyber Monday. While mobile devices now lead as the most popular way to shop online for Cyber Monday, laptops also remain popular,” Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist says. “Whether it’s new clothes or shoes, the season’s top toy, a new video game or a classic novel, shoppers are looking for that perfect gift for loved ones. They will continue to shop across the devices and destinations that best fit their needs throughout the busy holiday season.”
As of the holiday weekend, 84% of consumers had already begun their holiday shopping. However, similar to 2024, shoppers still have a little over half (53%) of their holiday shopping remaining.
NRF defines the holiday season as Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 and has forecast that holiday spending will surpass $1 trillion for the first time with growth between 3.7% and 4.2% over 2024. NRF surveyed 3,099 adult consumers between Nov. 26-30 with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.
