Shopping FACTS 2016

As both retailers and consumers are getting ready for the largest shopping weekend of the year, brick-and-mortar and online stores are competing for the attention (and the money) of holiday shoppers. Most current research suggests that consumers will split their holiday spending evenly between the digital and the real world, but how do they decide where to buy what?

According to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, it’s all about the right deals. When asked about the most important factors in deciding to shop at a particular retailer, both on and offline, 73 percent named sales and discounts as a key factor. How else can retailers lure shoppers into spending their holiday dollars at the right place? The following chart has the answers.

This year, about 137.4 million Americans are expected to head out and participate in the Thanksgiving shopping frenzy. Traditionally, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest U.S. shopping days, with customers splashing billions in cash to kick off the holiday season.

This year, apparel tops the list of items in demand. According to research from Nielsen, 61 percent of U.S. consumers are planning to purchase some form of apparel item this year. Consumer electronics and video games are also hot properties this year, with 56 and 43 percent of customers respectively planning to purchase them.