126M Consumers Plan to Shop on ‘Super Saturday’
Just over half of U.S. adults surveyed expect to finish their holiday gift shopping by today, but others will still be buying gifts on Christmas Eve — and some will miss the deadline altogether. That’s according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The survey found that only 12 percent of consumers had finished their holiday shopping as of Dec. 12, with shoppers having completed an average of only 61 percent. A total of 55 percent expected to be done purchasing gifts by today, with 6 percent saying they will still be shopping Sunday and 5 percent saying their final gifts won’t be bought until after Christmas. Fifty-three percent of consumers — about 126 million people — plan to shop this weekend on “Super Saturday,” the last Saturday before Christmas.
Total Retail's Take: Count me as one of those 126 million. I'll be heading out to a few stores on Saturday to finish up my holiday shopping. Even with more consumers opting to shop online this holiday season, there are still plenty of procrastinators that brick-and-mortar retailers are counting on this upcoming weekend. With shipping deadlines past come Saturday, physical retailers should see a surge in last-minute gift buyers. The key will be to give those customers an enjoyable experience — e.g., products in stock and easy to be found; knowledgable store associates ready to help if needed; quick-moving checkout lines — so that they're more likely to come back and purchase again in the new year.
