2019 Holiday Retail Sales Break Records Despite Shorter Shopping Season
Analysts predict 2019 Black Friday and Cyber Monday will generate the biggest holiday sales in history, reaching up to $1.1 trillion. A record 165 million shoppers plan to hit stores and websites, blending online convenience with traditional in-person browsing.
The 2019 holiday shopping season sets new records as retail sales grow between 3.8% and 5% despite a shorter timeframe caused by a late Thanksgiving. Industry forecasters expect total holiday sales to reach between $730 billion and $1.1 trillion, with e-commerce alone accounting for up to $149 billion of that massive figure. A record 165 million people plan to shop during the Thanksgiving period.
Cyber Monday continues to outpace Black Friday in digital revenue and is on track to hit $9.5 billion. While the average individual spending drops slightly to $313 per person, over a quarter of all shoppers expect to spend more than $500 during the weekend. Retailers also prepare for a significant downside, as return rates climb to an estimated 39% of purchased goods.
Shopper habits show a strong preference for omnichannel experiences, with 41% starting online and 47% starting in physical stores. Brick-and-mortar locations remain highly popular across all generations, including Gen Z, and over two-fifths of shoppers plan to buy online and pick up in-store. Additionally, more retailers open on Thanksgiving Day to meet rising consumer demand, as 58% of shoppers express a desire to shop on the holiday itself.