Retailers, are you ready for Super Saturday? The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts a record-setting 158.5 million consumers will shop this Saturday, up 10 million from 2021. Of these shoppers:
- 44.1 million (28%) will shop only in stores
- 42.2 million (27%) will shop only online
- 72.2 million (46%) will shop in stores and online
Despite the economic doomsayers, Matthew Shay, NRF’s president and CEO, says, “Consumers have been shopping in record numbers this year.”
As of last week, only slightly more than half of holiday shoppers were finished shopping, which is one reason experts expect big sales this Saturday.
In addition to typical holiday purchases like clothes, toys, and books, the NRF says, “28% of holiday shoppers plan to give a gift of experience, such as…a gym membership, spa service or art class. This is up from 23% last year and is the highest since NRF began asking consumers this question in 2015.” So if you own these types of businesses, make sure you have gift certificates on hand (and available on your website for electronic sending).
As I’ve noted previously, holiday shopping doesn’t end on December 24th. Wanting to take full advantage of post-season sales and promotions, 70% of shoppers plan to keep spending the week after Christmas.
Hopefully, your business accepts alternative payments like digital wallets. This year 52% of consumers say that’s how they’re paying for their purchases, up from 44% in 2021. The most popular methods of digital payments are PayPal (32%), Apple Pay (14%), and CashApp (12%).
There’s more to know about the holiday season at the NRF Winter Holiday Headquarters.
Super Saturday stock image by CLS Digital Arts/Shutterstock