If you haven’t finished your holiday shopping, you’re not alone. If you’re planning to shop this coming Saturday, Dec. 21, you’re certainly in good company with more than 157 million of your closest friends.
According to a National Retail Federation (NRF) survey, more than 157 million people are estimated to do some last-minute shopping on Saturday. That’s up from nearly 142 million shoppers last year. However, it’ll just miss the record 158 million that turned out in 2022.
They call it “Super Saturday” for a reason. This Saturday will be supersized thanks to a shorter holiday season in 2024, plus Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa all falling on the same week.
For retailers worried the floodgates may not open this year, the NRF isn’t the only one optimistic about this final stretch. The ICSC (formerly International Council of Shopping Centers), the trade organization serving commercial real estate and retail industries, has different numbers but the same sentiment.
According to the ICSC’s survey, 233 million people, 89% of U.S. adults, plan to shop leading up to Dec. 25. The ICSC said 71% of shoppers will be looking for deals on Super Saturday, 6% more than in 2023.
Research shows many shoppers still need to do a lot of shopping! According to the NRF, at the beginning of December, only 10% of consumers had their holiday shopping lists completed.
The NRF said 44% of shoppers, nearly 70 million people, plan to shop both in-store and online. That’s up 3% from last year.
“Super Saturday is one of the last opportunities during the holiday season for consumers to get the remaining items on their shopping list,” NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen said in a statement. “With a shortened window between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, consumers will be hitting stores and shopping online to get those final gifts and to take advantage of special promotions and deals.”
Once the holiday season wraps up, the NRF expects this to be a record year, with holiday spending estimated to reach up to $989 billion.
The NRF conducted its Super Saturday survey with 7,861 U.S. consumers between Dec. 2 and 7. ICSC’s survey took place from Dec. 11 to 13 with 1,008 respondents.
