The decrease in the number of Americans shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend this year indicates that consumers still have selectivity in their expenditures. According to estimates from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics, around 0.197 billion people shopped from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. This year's figure includes in-store and online shopping, a 1.7% decrease from last year's record-breaking 0.2004 billion. However, physical retailers have seen some encouraging signs: an estimated 0.126 billion people shopped in stores over the Thanksgiving weekend, a 3.8% year-over-year increase. Online shoppers decreased by 7.4% to 0.1243 billion. NRF, representing American retailers, stated that despite the decrease in the number of shoppers compared to last year, it still exceeded their initial expectations. 'Customers are becoming more thoughtful in their spending habits,' NRF CEO Matthew Shay said during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. He added that consumers are prioritizing gifts and holiday items this year, and visiting physical stores for the experience.