An estimated 186.4 million consumers shopped in-store and online during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to the annual survey released by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
The figure marks a slight decline from 189.6 million in 2019, but is still higher than 165.8 million in 2018, the survey showed.
"As expected, consumers have embraced an earlier start to the holiday shopping season, but many were also prepared to embrace a long-standing tradition of turning out online and in stores over Thanksgiving weekend," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.
The survey noted that Black Friday and Saturday saw a "tremendous growth" in online activity. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is traditionally known for long lines and crowds at shopping centers.
For the first time, the number of online Black Friday shoppers passed the 100 million mark, up 8 percent over last year, the survey showed.
Amid surging COVID-19 cases, the number of in-store shoppers on Thanksgiving Day dropped by 55 percent from last year and those on Black Friday dropped by 37 percent, the survey showed.
As COVID-19 continues to ravage the economy, unemployment is elevated, income is reduced and customers "will be looking for bargains," David Reibstein, a marketing professor from Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, told Xinhua earlier.
Over the five-day holiday period, shoppers spent an average of 311.75 U.S. dollars on holiday-related purchases such as gifts or decorations, down from last year's total of 361.90 dollars, but a little less than 2018's 313.29 dollars, the survey showed.
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