Holiday 2019 starts strong

The halls are decked, the lights are up and we're in the middle of the most wonderful time of the year. While there’s still a lot of holiday shopping ahead, a big weekend is behind us. Katherine Cullen, head of NRF’s consumer research division, joins the show to share what happened between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, some surprising data about generational purchasing behavior, and what shoppers have left to do this season.

• Nearly 190 million consumers shopped between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, more than the 165 million consumers that NRF forecasted.
• 25- to 34-year-old shoppers, which includes a lot of the millennial generation, spent the most over Thanksgiving weekend: $440 on average, more than they spent last year and more than any other demographic.
• NRF actually saw an increase in consumers over the age of 55, even in the 65-plus crowd, shopping online and on mobile. At the same time, there was an increase in younger consumers under the age of 25 who are shopping in stores.

Listen to the full episode to hear Cullen’s insights on the holiday research and check out NRF’s holiday headquarters for more data about the 2019 holiday shopping season.