Hard-pressed retailers will welcome new figures compiled by Deloitte which indicate that a healthy 79% of US consumers intend to hit the shops over the crucial pre-Christmas sales period stretching from Thanksgiving Thursday through to Cyber Monday.
Tills are expected to receive an average of $415 per household with 87% committed to pounding the streets to shop in-store while 94% are drawn to the comfort of online shopping.
Deloitte vice chairman Rod Sides said: “Despite retailers getting a jump-start on holiday deals — whether that's announcing a pre-Black Friday sale or offering free shipping — we're expecting a solid showing in stores on Black Friday this year. For many groups of friends and family, Black Friday shopping is a tradition that brings them all together.
“However, online shopping continues to attract shoppers, both on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In fact, of the folks we surveyed, more plan on shopping online than in-store during the Thanksgiving period."
The stats were drawn from a national survey of 1,200 US consumers conducted online between 31 October and 5 November.
