Consumer Behavior

Super Saturday may not be as super with shoppers

Photo by istock.com

December 16, 2021

Super Saturday, the last Saturday shopping day before Christmas, may not be as busy as 2020 as the National Retail Federation predicts a slight drop in consumer activity.

Last year 150 million consumers were out shopping and the figure was 147 million in 2019.

This year the figure will be a bit more than 148 million, according to an annual survey from the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

"Retailers began preparations for the holiday season months in advance, offering seasonal inventory early and taking preventative measures to circumvent supply chain challenges exacerbated by the pandemic," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a press release on the study findings. "Consumers have responded with a growing eagerness to kick off the holiday shopping season early, and they expect to carry that momentum through the last few weeks of the year."

Consumers plan to spend a total of $997.73 on holiday purchases this year, and as of early December, they had completed roughly half (52%) of their holiday shopping, according to the industry group.

"Consumers have responded to this holiday season's supply chain challenges with flexibility," Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said in the release. "When shoppers do experience difficulty finding gifts, they take a proactive approach toward alternate solutions like checking another retailer, location or channel or identifying a substitute item. Additionally, some will choose to gift cash or a gift card or even wait to see if the item comes back in stock."

The survey found 65% of holiday shoppers plan to shop during the week immediately following Christmas. The top reasons consumers plan to shop during this time are to take advantage of deals and promotions (42%) and to use gift cards (24%).