EYE on RETAIL: Super Saturday draws 189 million shoppers

Big crowds turned out for Super Saturday — especially to shop in physical stores.

Overall, 73% of consumers – 189 million people – shopped on Super Saturday, which fell on Dec. 17 this year, with 70% shopping in a physical store, according to a survey from International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). 

The ICSC total exceeds an earlier projection from the National Retail Federation, which predicted that more than 158 million consumers would shop on Super Saturday this year.

The number one reason consumers shopped on Super Saturday, the ICSC said, was to take advantage of deals and promotions for lower prices (39%), followed by still having more people to buy gifts for (37%) and buying additional gifts for people (33%).

In other survey findings, 71% of shoppers spent money on holiday gifts, while 40% spent on dining. Twenty-two percent spent on entertainment. 

Additional highlights from the survey are below:

• Overall, 90% of shoppers said inflation impacted their shopping on Super Saturday. 
• Shoppers identified the lowest prices (51%), in-stock products (46%), and ease of checkout (36%) as the primary factors in choosing where to shop.
• Fifty percent of shoppers took advantage of buying online and picking up in-store.
• A majority (54%) of shoppers noted they spent more than they planned.
• A majority (56%) spent using debit cards, 47% used credit cards, and 46% used cash. 

“Shoppers frequented stores on Super Saturday, aiming to get the best deals and making sure they get their gifts on time before the holidays,” said Tom McGee, president and CEO, ICSC. “While inflation and price concerns are still impacting where and how consumers buy gifts, they are still spending, particularly at physical stores. We expect last-minute shopping to continue this week and anticipate a strong conclusion to the holiday season.”

The ICSC Super Saturday consumer survey was conducted on December 17, 2022, with a demographically representative U.S. sample of 1,012 respondents.

[Read More: Visits to physical stores on Super Saturday up 17%]

(This article originally appeared on HBSDealer.com's partner site, Chainstoreage.com.)