The survey projected that more than 151 million people shopped either in stores and/or online over the weekend, up from the 136 million projection in an earlier mid-November survey. Most notably, 103 million people said they shopped online compared to 102 million who said they shopped in stores.
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Online retailer very.co.uk also reported bumper sales, saying more than half a million users visited its site by 9am, having opened for business midnight.
The NRF survey of 4,281 customers showed that shoppers spent about $300 over the 4-day weekend. And an additional 43% said they believe promotions after the Thanksgiving weekend will get even better.
The average spending per person over the weekend reached $229.60.
“We know that they still have a savings account that’s greater than previous year, so if they choose to spend, they can”, Terry Lundgren, chief executive of Macy’s, said in an interview Friday. Those under the age of 35 were most likely to shop over the weekend.
Several studies released over the weekend showed different levels of online growth, all in the double-digits.
Editor’s Note: NRF says 2015 Thanksgiving weekend spending is not comparable to last year’s survey as the methodology has changed. “With so many consumers relying on their smartphone for everything from travel to email, the convenience of enhanced mobile shopping appeals to consumers and has changed who and where people shop”.
The upshot of this is that the phenomenon of Black Friday as a discrete event is dwindling, being replaced by an extended holiday shopping period that stretches from the end of October to Christmas itself.
While data for Cyber Monday sales won’t be available until tomorrow, early predictions estimate that 126 million people will be covertly shopping from their cubicles during the day of digital deals. “It’s still a decent execution for the weekend, given the development that is being seen online too”, ShopperTrak originator Bill Martin said.
Prosper Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow noted that the question on spending in the new survey offered suggestions on what types of products it wanted feedback on like home decor and apparel, reducing the possibility that shoppers would include spending on food in their answers. Because the forecast is limited to in-store conditions, it does not capture the growing share of sales online. Wal-Mart is offering free shipping on orders over $50 and free in-store pickup. Overall, 44.3 million US adults (18 percent) plan to shop on Cyber Monday, on par with a year ago.
Gene Zapiecki of Sylvania looks at television sets for sale at Appliance Center during Black Friday deals, but online shopping proved to be the most popular way to go this weekend.
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The trade association expects total holiday sales to increase 3.7 percent in November and December from a year earlier.
