NRF: Shopping Season Still Going on in Full Force

(IDEX Online News) – According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) final consumer holiday spending survey of the season, the average holiday shopper has completed just 53.5 percent of their shopping.

Only 10 percent or so of organized shoppers – or approximately 22.6 million people – say they have completed all of their purchases, which means there are still plenty of opportunities to entice consumers with good deals and must-have products.  

“While we witnessed an early start to the holiday shopping season and an extraordinary Thanksgiving weekend, some of the busiest shopping days of the year are still to come,” said NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay. “We expect retailers will be competitive on price and value options in the final stretch, including extended store hours and in-store events, as well as online deals and free shipping offers. Even an unseasonably warm winter cannot keep last-minute shoppers from putting off their holiday purchases anymore.”

This year, gifts of experience, such as tickets to an event or an adventure outing, are gaining in popularity – especially among millennials. However, tradition purchases – including clothing and accessories – are still popular with 50.8 percent of those surveyed saying they opted for this type of gift.

Should the run up to Christmas prove quieter than anticipated, the NRF has some comforting information. . According to the survey, two-thirds (65.9%) of holiday shoppers said they are planning to shop – both browsing and buying – retailers' after-Christmas sales. Specifically, 47.2 percent of shoppers said they would shop at a store and 43.1 percent will shop online that week. Nearly six in 10 millennials will shop that week, both in stores (59.2%) and online (59.3%).