The 10 busiest shopping days of 2026 holiday season will be...
With Christmas falling on a Friday this year for the first time since 2020, the calendar week leading up to the holiday is likely to see steady shopping activity.
That’s according to Sensormatic Solutions’ predictions for the 2025 holiday season’s busiest shopping days. The firm’s ShopperTrak Analytics traffic data reveals that Black Friday (Nov. 27) is predicted to again be the biggest day for holiday store visits, followed by Super Saturday (Dec. 19) and the second Saturday in December (Dec. 12). (A list of the 10 busiest shopping days is at end of article.)
The data also suggests that store visits this holiday season may drop 3.5% year over year, a slight underperformance relative to the year-to-date average (down 2.7%). As in years past, the top 10 busiest days are expected to account for between 30% and 40% of total holiday traffic.
The slightly muted traffic compared to previous years may lead retailers to feel that they’re fighting an uphill battle, but it only tells half of the story, advised Grant Gustafson of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions, part of Johnson Controls.
"While individual visits have been trending downward throughout the year, conversion rates are rising,” he said. “Retailers that recognize the scope of the modern journey and lean on data to inform their approach will be more likely to get those high-intent shoppers through the doors on the days that matter most."
This past summer, conversion rates increased 5.2% year-over-year while sales per shopper rose 4.8%, indicating shoppers are making more purchases with intention.
"Most purchase journeys now start online, meaning shoppers arrive with a clear idea of what they want in mind and choose retailers they trust to deliver that product with a seamless experience to match,” said Tony D’Onofrio, president of Sensormatic Solutions. “The sale is already done by the time they set foot in the store. The retailer’s job is to meet them at that moment: have the product ready, where it should be and at the right price. If you can do that, you’ll have a happy holiday season.”
Based on Sensormatic Solutions' U.S. traffic data, the company predicts that the season’s busiest shopping days will be:
- Nov. 27 (Black Friday)
- Dec. 19 (Super Saturday)
- Dec. 12 (Second Saturday in Dec.)
- Dec. 26 (Boxing Day)
- Dec. 23 (Wednesday before Christmas)
- Dec 20. (Super Sunday)
- Nov. 28 (Saturday after Black Friday)
- Dec. 22 (Tuesday before Christmas)
- Dec. 5 (First Saturday in Dec.)
- Dec. 21 (Monday before Christmas)
Sensormatic predicts that the five busiest shopping days in Canada will be:
- Dec. 26 (Boxing Day)
- Nov. 27 (Black Friday)
- Nov. 28 (Saturday after Black Friday)
- Dec. 19 (Super Saturday)
- Dec. 23 (Wednesday before Christmas)
