Thanksgiving Weekend Sees Surge in Holiday Shoppers in Northern Kentucky

Covington, Kentucky — The five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday attracted an estimated 197 million shoppers, surpassing initial projections by the National Retail Federation (NRF) of 183.4 million shoppers. This figure ranks as the second highest total recorded in the survey’s history, following last year’s 200.4 million.

According to the NRF, Black Friday was the most popular day for shopping, with 81.7 million consumers shopping in-store— the highest attendance since the pandemic began. Additionally, 87.3 million consumers chose to shop online that day. Cyber Monday also proved significant, attracting 64.4 million online shoppers, marking it as the second most popular day for online shopping.

The NRF survey, conducted between November 27 and December 1, indicates that approximately 63% of shoppers used mobile devices this year, up from 55% last year—the highest percentage since tracking of this data started. Overall, 126 million people shopped in-store, while 124.3 million opted for online purchases, reflecting a slight increase in in-store shopping compared to the previous year.

Top shopping destinations during the Thanksgiving weekend included department stores and online platforms, each attracting 42% of shoppers. Other popular choices were grocery stores (40%), clothing and accessories stores (37%), and discount stores (32%).

Shoppers purchased various gifts, with the top items being clothing and accessories (49%), toys (31%), gift cards (27%), food and candy (23%), and personal care or beauty items (23%). Consumers reported an average expenditure of $235 on holiday gifts over this long weekend, marking an increase of approximately $8 from last year.

Looking ahead, NRF forecasts that holiday spending this November and December could reach a record $989 billion, with potential growth up to 3.5% from last year. In light of this, local retailers emphasize the importance of supporting community businesses during the holiday season.

“Please remember to support your local community retailers this holiday season,” said the president of the Kentucky Retail Federation. “And when shopping online, be mindful of the six fewer calendar days between Black Friday and Christmas Eve this year to ensure your orders arrive in time for gift giving.”

The Kentucky Retail Federation represents over 6,000 members across the Commonwealth, encompassing a wide range of retail sectors including department stores, drug stores, hardware, apparel, and building supply retailers.