A record 196.7 million Americans shopped in stores and online during the 2022 five-day holiday shopping period from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The total number of shoppers grew by nearly 17 million from 2021 and is the highest figure since NRF first started tracking this data in 2017.
Consumers spent an average of $325.44 on holiday-related purchases over the course of the weekend, up from $301.27 in 2021. While shoppers indicated that the top gifts they purchased during the shopping period were clothing and accessories (50% of shoppers) and toys (30%), gift cards ranked third with 27% of shoppers indicating they purchased gift cards during the holiday shopping event. That’s no surprise, as gift cards are a popular and easy holiday gift that can be purchased in-store and in most cases online as well. Recipients love them too.
As convenient and popular as gift cards can be, your BBB reminds consumers and businesses that gift cards can carry risks too. Whether you’re buying a gift card online or grabbing one off the shelf at a store, shop carefully to make sure you and your gift recipients will have a joyous holiday experience.
Physical gift cards
Buying a physical gift card? Here’s some tips from your BBB to keep your purchase safe and intact:
Look for package tampering. No matter where gift cards are displayed in the store, thieves are…
