Compared to last year, 1 percent fewer Thanksgiving and Black Friday shoppers turned out to physical stores, opting instead to scoop up deals online, according to retail analytics firm ShopperTrak. The number of shoppers visiting stores on Black Friday alone was down 1.7 percent.
Online Black Friday sales reached a record $6.22 billion, according to Adobe Analytics, and Thanksgiving Day sales equaled $3.7 billion – a 28 percent rise compared to last year.
Despite cold weather on the East Coast, turnout was relatively even across the country. Despite a small dip in visits to stores, the shopping holiday is still expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year, ShopperTrak Senior Director of Advisory Services Brian Field told CNBC.
Additional major shopping days will include Dec. 15 and Dec. 23, ShopperTrak said.