NRF: Only 49.9% of shoppers have completed holiday purchasing

Washington, D.C. -- The average holiday shopper had completed half (49.9%) of their shopping, slightly less than the 56.5% they’d completed by this time last year, boding well for retailers who are preparing for a very big holiday shopping weekend, according to the National Retail Federation’s latest holiday survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. Specifically, 32 million or 14% say they have not even started, while another 20 million, or 8.9% say they are already finished.



“There’s no question that the shortened holiday season has put both retailers and consumers in a rush to make the most out of the time that’s left before the big day,” said NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay. “With two of the most important shopping weekends in front of them, retailers will do their best to pull in those final dollars with unique offerings for their in-store, online and mobile shoppers; consumers will definitely be doing their homework before committing to any gift purchase, however, making it even more important for companies to compete on value, price and digital offerings.”

According to the NRF, retailers are still on track to meet its holiday sales forecast of 3.9% growth.