The US set a fresh retail milestone over the Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday stretch, with 202.9 million shoppers participating across the five days. The scale of activity marks a new high and reinforces the importance of the holiday period to categories spanning apparel, accessories and select discretionary goods.
Spending held firm, with the average shopper putting USD 338 towards holiday purchases. Sixty seven% of that outlay went specifically towards gifts. Clothing and accessories led the list of items bought during the weekend at 51%, followed by toys at 32%. Jewellery featured in the top ten categories, purchased by 14% of shoppers during the long weekend.
Holiday gifting expectations from NRF’s November survey show jewellery remaining a stable choice. Some 18% of consumers plan to give jewellery as a gift this season. On the receiving side, jewellery holds similar ground, with 19% of consumers hoping to receive it in 2025, compared with 20% last year.