37% of Americans – 91 million people – expect to purchase technology items or related accessories during ‘Black Friday Week’ (the Monday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after, aka Cyber Monday), says the CTA (formerly the CEA).
The consumer Black Friday experience is moving away from traditional in-store deals and towards online and mobile shopping for a more extended period, the CTA has found.
In total, 155 million Americans plan to shop during Black Friday Week; of these, 70% (116 million) plan to shop online, with Cyber Monday being the most popular day for it. 26% of consumers, up from 20% last year, plan to do online shopping on the day.
The use of mobile devices will be more pronounced than ever. The CTA found that 53% of users expect to use a smartphone or tablet while shopping.
Black Friday itself will remain the most popular day for in-store shopping; 25% of those surveyed plan to buy their goods on the day, down from 28% last year. This is a continuation of the foot traffic fall seen in recent years.
Fewer stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day this year, as the shopping period widens to include the surrounding week. 15 million Americans (6% of US adults) plan to shop on Thanksgiving: a two percentage point fall from 2014.
The CTA has said that the top 10 consumer products this year will be – in order – videogame consoles; TVs; tablets; laptops; smartphones; headphones; DVD/Blu-ray players; digital cameras; digital toys or videogame figurines; smartwatches.
