Super Saturday expected to be huge for shoppers and retailers

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Dec 18, 2016

December 17, 2016, or Super Saturday, is expected to be the largest shopping day to date with an estimated 156 million Americans planning to shop. According to a surveys released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics and International Council of Shopping Centers, more people plan to shop on Super Saturday than those planned to shop over Thanksgiving weekend.

“While many consumers got a head start with holiday shopping by taking advantage of extraordinary sales over Thanksgiving weekend, more shopping and great deals are yet to come,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “We expect retailers will once again be competitive on price and value options in the final stretch, especially on Super Saturday.”

The NRF survey found that only 10% of Americans have finished their holiday shopping, and the average shopper completed a little over half of their shopping. Of those consumers that finished half or less of their holiday shopping, 44.7% are still deciding what to buy and 27.2% are waiting for requests. 27% of respondents said they have other financial priorities, and 25% are too busy with other activities.

“With almost 90% of adults yet to complete their holiday shopping, we will see large crowds this Super Saturday weekend and continuing through to Christmas Eve,” said ICSC President and CEO Tom McGee. “Additionally, experiences will also draw crowds as once again we see that malls and shopping centers play an integral role in their communities by serving not only as a place to go shopping, but also as a place to spend time with family and friends during the holidays.”

The ICSC's survey showed how crucial Super Saturday is for retailers and shoppers. 88% of adults plan to spend an average of $418.80 through Christmas, and 60% plan to shop on Super Saturday alone. 67% of shoppers plan to buy at discount stores and 49% plan to shop at department stores, and majority of shoppers will be millennials (74%) followed by Gen X (59%) and Baby Boomers (42%).

Most of the last-minute shoppers plan to buy online followed by department stores and discount stores, and over 50% of respondents purchased clothing or clothing accessories. Though gift cards remain a popular gift, an increasing number of shoppers (23%) plan on gifting experiences like tickets to sporting events or an outdoor adventure. 38% of consumers said they would love to receive a gift of experience.

In addition, consumers are excited to take advantage of in-store after-Christmas sales. 48% of respondents plan to take advantage of the sales and 44% plan to shop online.