(New York) Americans went to stores more than last year over the Thanksgiving long weekend, mostly thanks to COVID-19 vaccines, and spent less online, the National Federation of Traders said Tuesday. (NRF).
They as a whole shelled out a bit less over these few days of big promotions including Black Friday and Cyber Monday as they started shopping earlier this year due to warnings about supply issues, said. the Federation.
But the holiday spending over the period between 1er November and December 31 should be up 8.5% to 10.5% to reach a record level, the organization still predicts.
The latest indicators on the propensity of Americans to open their portfolios remain strong, for example retail sales having increased in October by 16.3% compared to the same month last year.
But U.S. consumer confidence fell in November, due in part to concerns about inflation as well as lingering fears about COVID-19, according to the Conference Board index released on Tuesday.
For the boss of the NRF federation, Matthew Shay, macroeconomic conditions remain “very favorable” to spending, between the drop in the unemployment rate and the good financial health of many consumers.
Traders certainly face a few obstacles, including the lack of availability of some popular items and difficulties in recruiting, he admitted on a conference call Tuesday. And it is still “early” to assess the impact of the Omicron variant on expenses.
In previous waves of COVID-19, consumers tended to spend less on outings and vacations and more on goods, Shay recalled.
In total, nearly 180 million consumers made a purchase between Thursday and Monday, according to a survey conducted by the organization. This is a little less than last year, but in line with the average of the last four years.
Footfall in stores increased by 14% while the number of online shoppers fell by 12%.
At the cash register or on the internet, they spent an average of $ 301.27 on holiday-related items (gifts, decorations, clothing, toys), down 3% from last year.