Survey Shows 78 Percent of Adults Shopped or Spent Money Thanksgiving Weekend

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (December 5, 2022) – The ICSC’s 2022 Post-Thanksgiving Weekend survey showed that more than 200 million people, or 78 percent of adults, shopped or spent money during that time period.

“The early start to the shopping season didn’t stop people from shopping on Black Friday and throughout the holiday weekend, including Cyber Monday – and consumers indicated they still have more shopping to do,” said Tom McGee, President & CEO of ICSC. “Discount department stores saw particularly strong traffic, and in-store shopping overall was positive as deals extended across the weekend. Not surprisingly, shoppers are seeking the best prices and deals and seem willing to wait until they can find them. “

Here are some of the key takeaways from the ICSC survey:

• Over the five-day period beginning on Thanksgiving and ending Cyber Monday, 78% of U.S. adults – 201.5 million people – shopped or spent money this Thanksgiving Weekend, the same percentage as in 2021.
• Most spent on holiday gifts for others (66%), dining (46%) as well as other holiday-related items (25%).
• 66% of holiday weekend shoppers – approximately 119.7 million adults – spent money at a physical store this holiday weekend, up 5% from last year.
• Nearly half (48%) made purchases from Amazon or other pure-play online retailers.
• Shoppers cited the ability to physically see or touch merchandise (50%), browsing for new gift ideas (35%) and an overall preference for in-store shopping (34%) as primary motivations for visiting a store.
• Of those who shopped online, the largest segment (63%) cited convenience, while half cited cheaper prices or better promotions.
• Consistent with recent years, most that made purchases did so at discount department stores (61%). Restaurants and dining moved into the second spot (36%) and traditional department stores dropped to third (31%).
• Most spending occurred on Black Friday, with consumers reporting that they did 38.7% of their total weekend spending that day. Cyber Monday accounted for 18.3% of spending.
• 54% of shoppers shopped with small or locally owned community businesses to show support.
• 50% agreed they shopped just as much or more over the long weekend as they have in years past, and 67% agreed the deals weekend remained just as important for their holiday shopping.
• Overall, 73% of Thanksgiving Weekend shoppers visited a shopping center during the long weekend to shop or for other activities and services.

The ICSC conducted two surveys on November 25 and November 28 with a demographically representative U.S. sample of 1,005 and 1,008, respectively.

About ICSC
The member organization for industry advancement, ICSC promotes and elevates the marketplaces and spaces where people shop, dine, work, play and gather as foundational and vital ingredients of communities and economies.  ICSC produces experiences that create connections and catalyze deals; aggressively advocates to shape public policy; develops high-impact marketing and public relations that influence opinion; provides an enduring platform for professional success; and creates forward-thinking content with actionable insights – all of which drive industry innovation and growth.  For more information, please visit www.ICSC.com.