Online Shopping Dominates Holiday Sales Results so Far

Fewer Consumers to Shop on Super Saturday this Year

In 2022, Super Saturday, falling on December 17, marked a peak for NRF since tracking began in 2016.

Fewer consumers to shop on Super Saturday this year

NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay emphasized that Super Saturday traditionally signifies the final major shopping holiday of the year, and while consumers still have shopping to do, retailers are well-prepared, both online and in physical stores, with a variety of gifts, decorations, and other seasonal items.

The NRF's prediction is based on a survey of 7,973 adult consumers conducted from December 1-6. In contrast to the expected decrease in Super Saturday shoppers, other major shopping holidays in 2023, such as the period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, witnessed a record-breaking 200.4 million U.S. consumers, surpassing the NRF's prediction by over 18 million.

Super Saturday, positioned just a day before Christmas Eve, caters to last-minute shoppers, with many consumers nearly completing their shopping by this time. Prosper Insights & Analytics EVP of Strategy, Phil Rist, and Neil Saunders, Managing Director of Retail at GlobalData, both anticipate a busy day, primarily focused on last-minute gifts and quick purchases rather than extensive shopping.

Due to the time constraints leading up to Christmas, a larger proportion of consumers plan to shop in physical stores this year. According to the NRF, 53 million people (37% of Super Saturday shoppers) intend to shop exclusively in stores, an increase from 44 million the previous year, while 31 million plan to shop exclusively online, and 58 million plan to use both channels.

As the NRF survey conducted in early December revealed, consumers were still seeking approximately half (49%) of their planned holiday purchases. While Super Saturday may be the last shopping day before Christmas, 70% of consumers expressed intentions to continue shopping in the week after Christmas. Motivations include taking advantage of post-holiday sales (48%), using gift cards (26%), and returning or exchanging unwanted items (16%).

Retailers are gearing up for a final push leading up to Super Saturday. Instacart, for instance, collaborated with retailers such as Bath & Body Works, Best Buy, and Lowe's for its inaugural "‘Tis a Big Deal Week" from December 17 to December 23, offering 20% off orders of $50 or more. This initiative aims to capture some of the last-minute Christmas spending.

Considering its proximity to Christmas, Super Saturday is expected to be bustling for grocery retailers, with many consumers purchasing provisions, especially fresh and perishable items, on that day. Neil Saunders anticipates a significant focus on food, groceries, last-minute gifts, essentials like wrapping paper, and apparel for both gifts and self-purchases. Gift cards are also expected to perform well on Super Saturday.