Dive Brief:
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There will plenty of people heading to physical stores and retail sites on Black Friday weekend, according to the National Retail Federation’s latest estimate, released Thursday. Nearly three quarters (73.5%) say they’ll shop on Black Friday.
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Some 58.7% of shoppers or 135.8 million people say they “definitely will” or “may” shop on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or the following Saturday or Sunday.
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The finding is below last year’s, when 61.1% said they’d shop that weekend and just 55% or 133.7 million people, actually did.
Dive Insight:
The NRF has found a healthy number of shoppers ready to get going on holiday purchases on Black Friday weekend. But last year’s numbers show that what people say they’re planning doesn’t always pan out.
This year, there may be even more uncertainty. Although there are several indications that the economy and the American consumer are strong, spending priorities are changing. And some observers say that forces like fears about terrorism from the news could still be a factor influencing holiday sales.
Research is finding that many shoppers are indeed waiting for Black Friday deals on higher-priced items, but what they find could be complicated by the fact that nearly a third (31%) of prices on many items won’t be discounted for the weekend, according to a study from WalletHub.