The relaxation of interest rates, the slowdown of inflation, the imminent threat of tariffs, and strong holiday sentiment are expected to drive Americans' shopping numbers to a historic high this year.
According to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF), an estimated 0.1834 billion people nationwide in the United States plan to shop from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday in physical stores and online this year, surpassing the 0.182 billion record set in 2023 by an additional 18.1 million five years ago.
Black Friday is estimated to remain the most popular shopping day, with 0.1317 billion people planning to shop, of which 65% will visit physical stores. These numbers continue to demonstrate the resilience of American consumers, with winter holiday spending in November and December expected to reach record levels. NRF forecasts a year-on-year increase of 2.5% to 3.5%, reaching $979.5 billion to $989 billion, with retailers expected to hire 0.4 million to 0.5 million seasonal workers to meet the demand and support business operations.
The performance of the retail sector in the US stock market has been strong this year. The S&P 500 non-essential consumer goods sector has surged 25% year-to-date, with stocks like Royal Caribbean (RCL.US), Deckers Outdoor (DECK.US), and Tapestry (TPR.US) leading the way. The S&P 500 consumer staples industry index achieved an 18% return, driven by Walmart (WMT.US), Costco (COST.US), and Kellanova (K.US). However, even within the same industry, there are significant differences between companies, with Walmart's stock price recently soaring to new heights after a quarter of growth, while Target (TGT.US) fell 20% following the third-quarter earnings announcement.