When people finish holiday shopping
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If you're feeling behind on your Christmas shopping, you're not alone.
The big picture: A majority of holiday shoppers plan to finish buying gifts the week leading up to Christmas, an annual survey found.
- "Whether shoppers have planned out their shopping list or are waiting until the last minute," many are still shopping in the days before Dec. 25 said Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy at Prosper Insights & Analytics.
Yes, but: 58% of shoppers started checking off their gift lists in early November, according to the data from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
- Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in late November drive many shoppers to get their gifts in early at discounted prices.
- Even with the early start, 62% of shoppers didn't expect to start wrapping their holiday purchases until December.
Zoom in: As of early December, Americans had purchased half the gifts on their shopping lists on average, while only 10% were finished.
- The near-majority of shoppers (49%) finish their shopping online. They're also going to department stores, discount stores and clothing and accessory stores.
Between the lines: Most shoppers opt for a head start on shopping to spread out their spending.
- Each shopper is expected to spend an average of $902 across gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items.
- Avoiding crowds and the stress of last minute shopping are other top reasons people start holiday shopping early.
Super Saturday shopping
Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas, falls on Dec. 21 this year and is one of the biggest shopping days of the season.
- An estimated 157.2 million people plan to shop on the last Saturday before Christmas, according to the NRF survey.
- That's up from 141.9 million Super Saturday shoppers last year and is the second-highest number after 2022's 158.5 million figure.
What they're saying: Katherine Cullen, NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights, noted Super Saturday is one of the last opportunities to buy the remaining items on peoples' shopping lists.
- "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," she added.
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