(The Center Square) – Nevadans joined millions of other Americans for a record-breaking Black Friday shopping spree.
Reports from this weekend found the year’s biggest retail shopping day exceeded pre-pandemic figures as people sought much needed discounts ahead of the holiday season. Sales were up despite Nevadans’ concerns about the economy.
U.S. retail sales on Black Friday grew 4.1% over last year, according to Mastercard’s SpendingPulse report. The National Retail Federation predicted 186.9 million Americans shopped online or in person between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday this year – 3 million more than last year.
In Nevada, a record $6.5 billion was estimated to be spent on retail and other seasonal-related items during the November-December holiday season this year, according to the NRF. This comes after the state ranked third for holiday spending growth last year at 17.8% – outstripping the 7.7% national average between 2023-2024, as per a SmartAsset report.
For Black Friday’s total online sales, where a quickly growing portion of the shopping holiday’s traffic takes place, there was an estimated $11.8 billion in revenue generated, according to Adobe for Business.
“The holidays are an important part of many consumers’ budgets, and that trend is especially true this season,” said Katherine Cullen, the NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights “As a record number of shoppers are expected this Thanksgiving weekend, retailers are prepared to meet the needs of consumers with great value and convenience.”
While big spending on Black Friday and the holiday season is nothing new, the continued upward trend comes as households across America worry about the economy. A recent Emerson College poll found that over half of Nevada voters cited the economy or housing affordability as their top issue for the 2026 elections.
Nationwide, shoppers are expected to spend an average of $890 during the holiday season, according to the NRF. Increasingly, Americans will do so using “buy now, pay later” plans, such as Klarna. Adobe for Business reported that $7.5 billion was spent through payment plans such as Klarna in November, an 11% growth from last year.
