An estimated 157.2 million consumers plan to shop on the last Saturday before Christmas, according to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The estimate is up from 141.9 million Super Saturday shoppers last year and is the second-highest number after 2022’s 158.5 million figure.
“Super Saturday is one of the last opportunities during the holiday season for consumers to get the remaining items on their shopping list,” NRF vice president of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen said in a statement. “With a shortened window between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, consumers will be hitting stores and shopping online to get those final gifts and to take advantage of special promotions and deals.”
How Consumers Are Shopping on Super Saturday
With only four days between Super Saturday and Dec. 25, shoppers are likely to embrace multiple channels as they wrap up their holiday shopping, according to the survey. This year, 69.5 million (44%) people plan to shop both in-store and online, up from 58.3 million (41%) in 2023. Approximately 49.4 million (31%) expect to shop exclusively in-store, down from 52.8 million (37%) last year, while 38.2 million (24%) plan to shop online only, which is up from 30.8 million (22%) in 2023.
As of early December, consumers had purchased half (50%) of the items on their shopping list, on average, while only 10% were completely done, according to the survey. Those with at least half of their shopping left to finish said they were waiting because they were still trying to figure out what to buy (37%), had other financial priorities before December (27%) or were waiting for family members and friends to let them know what gifts they want (24%).
“Whether shoppers have planned out their shopping list or are waiting until the last minute, most shoppers still have purchases left to make before December 25,” Prosper Insights & Analytics executive vice president of strategy Phil Rist said in a statement. “As with last year, over half of consumers expect they will complete their shopping in the week leading up to the Christmas holiday.”
Top Super Saturday Shopping Destinations
The leading destinations consumers plan to finish their shopping are online (49%), department stores (37%), discount stores (27%) and clothing and accessory stores (25%), according to the survey. The top gifts shoppers have purchased so far include clothing and accessories (50%), toys (32%), gift cards (26%), books, video games and other media (24%) and personal care or beauty items (24%).
Similar to last year, most consumers (71%) plan to shop the week immediately following December 25. The top reasons consumers plan to shop during the week are to take advantage of holiday sales and promotions (48%), use gift cards (26%) and return or exchange unwanted gifts and holiday items (16%), according to the survey.
