WASHINGTON — An estimated 158.9 million consumers plan to shop on Super Saturday, the final Saturday before Christmas, according to an annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The total is up from 157.2 million shoppers last year and exceeds the previous record of 158.5 million set in 2022.
“As the final Saturday before December 25, Super Saturday is a significant shopping event for both consumers and retailers,” said Katherine Cullen, NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights. “This year’s event falls only five days before the Christmas holiday, and consumers will shop across retailers and channels in search of the final gifts on their lists and other holiday items they need to complete a memorable holiday season.”
Shoppers are expected to use multiple channels, with nearly half, or 71.6 million consumers, or 45 percent, planning to shop both in-store and online. That compares with 44 percent in 2024. Among those using a single channel, 46.2 million shoppers, or 29 percent, plan to shop exclusively in store, while 41.1 million, or 26 percent, expect to shop online only.
Online shopping remains the leading choice for finishing holiday shopping, cited by 46 percent of respondents. Department stores follow it at 33 percent, and discount stores at 26 percent. The most popular gifts purchased so far include clothing and accessories at 48 percent, toys at 30 percent, gift cards at 27 percent, books, music, movies, video games, and other media at 25 percent, and personal care or beauty items at 23 percent.
By early December, consumers reported completing just over half of their holiday shopping on average. Among those with more than half of their shopping still to do, the main reasons included uncertainty about what to buy at 33 percent, other financial priorities before December at 25 percent, and waiting for gift guidance from family or friends at 23 percent.
“Along with tangible items, gifts of experience continue to be a popular choice for people looking to create memories with loved ones,” said Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy at Prosper Insights & Analytics. “Three in 10 shoppers plan to give an experience this year, such as art classes or tickets to an event. This figure has grown steadily over the past decade, from 22 percent in 2015.”
Looking beyond Christmas, 70 percent of consumers plan to shop during the week immediately after December 25. The main reasons include taking advantage of holiday sales and promotions (45 percent) and using gift cards (26 percent).
NRF defines the holiday season as November 1 through December 31 and has forecasted that holiday spending will exceed $1 trillion for the first time, with growth ranging from 3.7 percent to 4.2 percent in 2024.
The survey of 8,005 adult consumers was conducted from December 1 to December 10 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
