(The Center Square) – The five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday was a busy one in Illinois and around the country.
According to a survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics, 197 million shoppers headed out to stores and online, the second highest number ever. That is slightly lower than last year’s record of over 200 million.
“Thanksgiving weekend retains its prominence among holiday spending events and continues to play a significant role in the holiday season for both consumers and retailers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Even with this year’s shortened shopping period and the multitude of early sales promotions from retailers, this past weekend exceeded expectations in terms of the sheer volume of shoppers.”
A total of 126 million consumers shopped in-store, up from 121.4 million in 2023. Online shoppers totaled 124.3 million, down from 134.2 million shoppers last year.
The top gifts purchased during this period included clothing and accessories (bought by 49% of those surveyed), toys (31%), gift cards (27%), food and candy (23%) and personal care or beauty items (23%).
Black Friday remains the most popular day for both in-store and online shopping: 81.7 million consumers shopped in stores on Black Friday, up from 76.2 million last year and the highest level since the pandemic.
On Black Friday, the Village of Schaumburg, Illinois, announced that the Woodfield Mall had to temporarily close due to excessive traffic congestion in the area.
Cyber Monday remains the second most popular day for online shopping, attracting just over 64 million consumers. It is also an opportunity for scammers. The Illinois Department of Revenue sent out an advisory, urging Illinoisans to remain vigilant against potential online threats.
The agency advises consumers to refrain from revealing too much personal information, use strong passwords, and enable multi-factor authentication.
“This time of year, as holiday shopping begins and Black Friday and Cyber Monday online sales tend to hit record highs, there is often an increased risk of cybercriminals taking advantage of unsuspecting shoppers,” said IDOR director David Harris.
