More Americans Favor In-Person Shopping This Holiday Season

As the holiday shopping season reaches its peak, new data from the National Retail Federation reveals a notable shift in consumer behavior: more Americans are opting for in-person shopping over online purchases this year.

During the bustling period between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in-person shoppers outnumbered online shoppers. “It just gets me in the mood for finding things that are different and new that I wouldn’t think to look for online,” shared shopper Kim Bodenstab. “Even though I do some online shopping too.”

The National Retail Federation reported that 197 million people ventured out to shop over Thanksgiving weekend, with 126 million choosing to shop in-store—an increase compared to last year. In contrast, online shopping saw a decline, with 124.3 million people shopping online during the same period.

Shoppers like Whitney Manney also prefer buying gifts for little ones in person. “The little kids on my list, I like to do in person. Especially if it’s clothes,” she explained. “I have to look at it if they are going to fit it for a while.” Manney proudly noted that she began her holiday shopping on Friday afternoon—a significant accomplishment compared to her usual late start.

The NRF indicates that most Americans have completed around 50% of their holiday shopping. However, shopper Aaron Yarbough feels he has much more to accomplish. “I have nothing for the wife, nothing for the other three kids,” he admitted. “So we have a long way to go.”

Yarbough prefers starting his shopping journey in stores but keeps his phone handy for price comparisons. “Pull it up on my app to see if I could find better prices and things like that,” he said about his shoe-shopping experience on Friday morning.

This year’s shorter time frame between Thanksgiving and Christmas is prompting many shoppers like Yarbough to quickly stock up on gifts.