In 2024, holiday retail sales in the United States were forecast to reach about ***** billion U.S. dollars. This figure was given as a conservative value; retail sales over the holiday season was projected to be between ***** billion U.S. dollars to *** billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Holiday retail sales have risen substantially since the turn of the century, with holiday retail sales amounting to approximately *** billion U.S. dollars back in 2002. Holiday retail sales are a fraction of total retail sales in the United States which were around ************** U.S. dollars in 2023. Holiday season e-commerce is also on the rise, with increasing numbers of retailers and consumers going digital. What makes up the winter holiday season in the United States? The winter holiday season includes shopping occasions such as Thanksgiving weekend - which is made up of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, Super Saturday – the last Saturday before Christmas, and Christmas itself. Thanksgiving weekend is a very popular time for consumers to partake in holiday shopping. In 2022, over *** million U.S. consumers shopped on Black Friday. Leading companies in U.S. retail The domestic retail market in the United States is very competitive, with many companies recording substantial retail sales. Walmart, a retail chain offering low prices and a wide selection of products, is the leading retailer in the United States. Amazon, The Kroger Co., Costco, and Target are a selection of other leading U.S. retailers.

This statistic shows the year-over-year growth of holiday retail sales in the United States from 2000 to 2024. In 2024, holiday retail sales were forecast to grow by approximately 2.5 percent compared to the previous year. This was given as a conservative value. Forecast holiday season retail growth was expected to be within 2.5 and 3.5 percent range. Holiday season in the United States The holiday season is just around the corner and it’s truly the best time of the year for both consumers and retailers of all shapes and sizes. Since the recession in 2008, Christmas holiday retail sales in the United States have grown steadily. In 2022, Christmas retail sales reached 929.5 billion U.S. dollars. Furthermore, the amount of money that U.S. consumers plan to spend on gifts has fluctuated year to year. Gift shopping In the United States, consumers were more likely to select online stores when shopping for gifts for their loved ones. More than half of consumers in 2022 said that they were more likely to visit online retailers for holiday gifts. Mass retailers were also popular with half of respondents to the same survey. Most U.S. consumers would already begin their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving. Only a small fraction of consumers (nine percent) said they would start their holiday shopping in December.

Introduction

Holiday Spending Statistics: Over the last few decades, a holiday has become not only a celebration but also a special occasion for consumer spending. Every year, millions of shoppers plan their purchases earlier, explore multiple channels, and demand faster, more personalized experiences.

In recent years, more people are now shopping online, and the economy is changing how and when they spend during the holidays. From mobile deals and social media influence to buy-now-pay-later options and record online sales, this article explores several key statistics and insights that drive holiday shopping behavior, providing a deeper understanding of the topic.

According to the results of a recent survey conducted among U.S. consumers, getting the best bang for your buck was the most important factor when shopping during the holiday season in the United States. Quality ranked *****, valued the most by just under ** percent of respondents.

Based on Statista estimates, the total value of retail sales over the holiday shopping season is forecast to reach 973 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. This marks a 4.8 percent increase on the previous year's value, which accounted to about 929 billion U.S. dollars.

In 2023, holiday shopping season will start a little later for many consumers in the United States. According to the findings of a recent survey, half of U.S. consumers were intending to start their holiday shopping in October in 2023. This share was at 56 percent the previous year.

Holiday season in the United States The holiday season is just around the corner and it’s truly the best time of the year for both consumers and retailers of all shapes and sizes. Since the recession in 2008, Christmas holiday retail sales in the United States have grown steadily. The amount of money that U.S. consumers plan to spend on gifts has, however, fluctuated. A 2022 survey revealed that U.S. consumers expected to spend, on average, 867 U.S. dollars in 2022; an increase from 794 dollars in 2018.

Black Friday For millions of people, Black Friday is the time to do some serious Christmas shopping — even before the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone. It is the Friday after Thanksgiving, and it's one of the major shopping days of the year in the United States, falling anywhere between November 23 and 29. While it's not recognized as an official US holiday, many employees have the day off — except those working in retail. Ever since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to a bustling holiday shopping season.

In 2023, 34 percent of online shoppers in the United States reported that they expected to spend the most money for the holiday season at online-only retailer sites like Amazon. Another 14 percent reported they would spend the most money for the holidays at big-box stores like Walmart and Target.

In 2024, most U.S. shoppers preferred to shop **************** for the holidays. ***************** was only forecast to dominate ****** channels during the weekend after Thanksgiving and after Christmas until the New Year.

In 2023, consumers from the United States are expected to shop more online for holidays that involve gift giving. According to the survey, Christmas is the biggest holiday for e-commerce. Roughly 75 percent of shoppers intend to do their Christmas shopping online. Another major online shopping holiday is Hanukkah, with around 57 percent of consumers planning to shop online for the festival.

Explore the statistics for Holidays & Seasonal eCommerce in 2025, including store count by region and platform, estimated sales amount by platform and region, products sold by platform and region, and total app spend by platform and region. Gain insights into regional preferences, market penetration, consumer trends, and technological investments within the Holidays & Seasonal sector. Discover the leading regions and platforms, as well as the dynamics of sales and product volumes. Stay informed about the evolving landscape of Holidays & Seasonal online stores for a comprehensive understanding of the market.

Most people in the United States planned to start their 2024 Christmas shopping sooner rather than later. 15 percent of respondents had even already started their shopping when surveyed in August. With two-thirds of responses, most people said they would start in October and/or November.

In the United States, holiday season online retail sales grew by 8.8 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year. Forecasts suggested that this growth would increase in 2024 to 9.5 percent. The new normal in holiday shopping In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted many U.S. consumers to do their holiday shopping online. A year later, although the situation once again allows for physical shopping, e-commerce is still gaining relevance. According to estimates, holiday season online retail sales in the United States were to reach new heights in 2023, amounting to 254 billion dollars. As in previous years, Cyber Monday and Black Friday would remain the most relevant holiday shopping days in 2023, expected to generate approximately 12 billion and 9.6 billion U.S. dollars in sales, respectively. A preference for online With Cyber Monday expected to generate 2.4 billion dollars more than Black Friday in 2023, it comes as no surprise that most holiday shoppers reported that their preferred type of retailer for holiday gifts were online-only retailers. Over six in ten consumers prefered to buy holiday gifts from e-commerce only merchants, while department stores only only preferred by about 24 percent of seasonal shoppers.

For shoppers planning to make holiday purchases online, avoiding stores and crowds was the primary reason, with 27 percent of respondents reporting this in a September 2024 survey. Searching for the best price and saving time were also popular reasons, according to 23 percent of respondents respectively.

After a shift in shopping behavior in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, in-store shopping was set to pick up steam in the following years. According to a survey, in both 2021 and 2022, about ** percent of U.S. consumers intended to shop online during the holiday season. In contrast, ** percent of shoppers in the North American country planned to go to stores.

In 2024, consumers in the United States planned to spend an average of just under six weeks shopping during the holiday season. This is about the same as the previous two years, but a decrease compared to 2019, for example. That year, Americans expected to complete their holiday shopping in about seven and a half weeks on average.

In 2024, only ** percent of Italians stated that they planned to start their holiday shopping in December. The majority of respondents said that they would start in the month of November.

In 2024, mobile devices were responsible for the majority of revenue (53.2 percent) generated during the U.S. holiday sales season. However, the percentage generated by desktop and other devices remained close, reaching 46.8 percent.

Social media use among U.S. American consumers for holiday shopping has become more popular in recent years. In 2024, ** percent of Gen Z shoppers intended on buying a holiday gift directly on a social media platform.

According to the study, more than **** in *** U.S. Americans surveyed in 2023 said they planned to use Amazon for their online holiday shopping that year. A total ** percent of surveyed respondents reported that they would be using the specific website of a brand.

Between November 1 and December 31, 2022, online shoppers globally are expected to spend an estimated 209.7 billion U.S. dollars on holiday shopping. Cyber Monday alone is forecast to generate approximately 11.2 billion dollars in online sales.

The effect of economic uncertainty on holiday shopping

In 2022, the twin evils of inflation and economic stagnation threaten to affect consumer demand during this year's festivities. In a survey conducted in August 2022, nearly a third of consumers worldwide stated that galloping inflation was their  prime concern this holiday season. Other issues like uncertainty about the global economy and lack of savings also came up as areas of concern. Since many people wait for the holidays to buy big-ticket items, these categories are forecast to witness the highest rates of e-commerce discounts, with e-retailers anticipating grim consumer sentiment to affect this year's peak season sales. Categories like computers and electronics could see double-digit discount rates that online shoppers can benefit from.

Impact of inflation on e-commerce

During the holiday season and beyond, the global macroeconomic outlook for 2022 is spelling bad news for e-commerce businesses across the globe. In the United States, that rapidly grew and thrived during the pandemic got hit by a wave of e-commerce layoffs that dealt a blow to the industry. One way consumers are dealing with rising inflation and economic uncertainty is by resorting to recommerce: In a May 2022 survey, around 93 percent of U.S. shoppers reported that inflation impacted their decision to buy and sell secondhand products online in the past twelve months. The recommerce market in the U.S. is set to reach nearly 180 billion U.S. dollars in 2022.