Even though consumers got an early start this year, with more than a third starting holiday shopping in October or earlier, there were still those who started much later – 9% of holiday shoppers planned to wait until Super Saturday to begin get started, according to a recent consumer survey fielded by The NPD Group during the week leading up to Super Saturday. Sales results from the week ending December 18, 2021 (Super Saturday), reveal the impact of these, and other, last minute shoppers.
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- Discretionary general merchandise sales were 7% higher than they were in the same week in 2020, and unit sales increased 2%, according to Retail Early Indicator data from NPD.
- Compared to the same period in 2019, pre-pandemic, dollar sales increased 1%, but unit sales declined 8%.
“Headlining retail headwinds, such as early-season shopping, supply issues, and diminishing deals, have not stifled sales. Rather, Super Saturday Week’s marginal revenue growth over pre-pandemic levels demonstrates the return to more normal sales results as consumers continue to elevate their purchase investment,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry advisor for The NPD Group. “Overall, these are positive indicators for retailers heading into the final full week of shopping leading up to Christmas.”
Marshal Cohen will be available for interviews as the holiday season comes to an end, to provide his perspectives on how the 2021 holiday shopping season shaped up.
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