The holiday weekend, from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, drew a record-setting 200.4 million consumers – beating last year's record of 196.7 million, according to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
The figure surpassed NRF's initial expectations of 182 million shoppers by more than 18 million, according to a press release on the survey.
"The five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday represents some of the busiest shopping days of the year and reflects the continued resilience of consumers and strength of the economy," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in the release. "Shoppers exceeded our expectations with a robust turnout. Retailers large and small were prepared to deliver safe, convenient and affordable shopping experiences with the products and services consumers needed, and at great prices."
Consumers used both online and in-store channels, with 121.4 million visiting physical retail locations to browse items and make in-store purchases. Online shoppers totaled 134.2 million, up from 130.2 million last year.
Black Friday continued its streak as the most popular day for in-store shopping, with 76.2 million shoppers opting to visit brick-and-mortar locations, up from 72.9 million in 2022.
The top destinations for Thanksgiving weekend shoppers were online (44%), grocery stores and supermarkets (42%), department stores (40%), clothing and accessories stores (36%) and electronics stores (29%).