IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
A little more than 183 million people say they will shop in store or online during the Thanksgiving Day weekend.
If that forecast is correct, it will top last year’s record of 182 million shoppers during the five-day weekend that begins Thanksgiving Day, and lasts through Cyber Monday, according to the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C.
“Even though holiday shopping continues to pull forward, some of the busiest shopping days of the year are during the five-day Thanksgiving weekend,” said Catherine Cullen, the federation’s vice president of industry and consumer insights, in the statement. “Consumers are prioritizing gift-giving for the most important people in their lives, and retailers are prepared to help customers find everything on their shopping lists.”
Fifty seven percent of those surveyed say they plan to shop during the Thanksgiving Day weekend because the deals are “too good to pass up,” 28 percent because it’s a “tradition,” and 24 percent because they like to start their Christmas shopping during that weekend.
Black Friday is the most popular day to shop, with 72 percent planning to head out to stores or shop online that day, according to the federation.
