Nevada consumers spend $516 million from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, estimate says

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Consumers in Nevada spent an estimated $516.3 million from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, according to the Retail Association of Nevada (RAN).

“Consumers turned out in a big way over Thanksgiving weekend, but unlike in the past, Black Friday is no longer the unofficial start to the holiday season,” said Bryan Wachter, senior vice president of RAN. “Thanksgiving weekend is now more like halftime than kickoff, with consumers beginning their shopping weeks and months in advance to find the best deals.”

The association forecasts consumer retail sales in Nevada will grow by 10% during the holiday shopping season this year, headed for a record $5.5 billion.

On the national level, holiday consumer spending is projected to increase between 8.5 and 10.5 percent, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). Nationwide, an estimated 179.8 million consumers shopped over the Thanksgiving weekend and on Cyber Monday, marking a 3.5 percent decrease from 2020. Shoppers over the five days spent an average of $301.27, with over $215 going toward gifts and holiday items, according to NRF survey data.

Top purchases over the Thanksgiving shopping weekend included apparel (purchased by 51%), toys (32%), gift cards (28%), books and video games (27%) and electronics (24%), according to the NRF.

“Retailers may have left stores dark this year on Thanksgiving, but with pandemic-driven investments in e-commerce, consumers have more options than ever when it comes to holiday shopping,” Wachter said.

During the Thanksgiving weekend shopping period, an estimated 104.9 million consumers shopped in-store, up 13.7 percent from 2020, while 127.8 million consumers shopped online (-12.1%), according to NRF survey data.

The busiest day of the shopping weekend for in-store purchases came on Black Friday when an estimated 66.5 million consumers hit the stores. Black Friday was also the most popular day for online shopping with 88.0 million consumers making a purchase from behind a screen.

Cyber Monday came in a close second for online shoppers with an estimated 77 million consumers.