What impact did Covid-19 vaccinations have on US holiday shopping?

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Covid-19 Vaccinations Drove a Shift to In-Store Holiday Shopping in the US

Widespread Covid-19 vaccinations in the United States significantly influenced consumer behaviour during the recent Thanksgiving holiday weekend, leading to a notable increase in in-store shopping and a corresponding decrease in online purchases. This shift was attributed by the National Retail Federation (NRF) to an "improved health environment" compared to the previous year.
Increased Foot Traffic in Physical Stores

Physical retailers experienced a substantial rise in shopper numbers over the five-day holiday period, which included Thanksgiving and the subsequent weekend. This stretch saw 13.6 per cent more shoppers visit brick-and-mortar stores compared to the same period in 2020. In total, approximately 104.9 million individuals opted for in-person shopping experiences.
Decline in Online Shopping Activity

Conversely, online shopping activity saw a decline during the same five-day period. The number of consumers shopping via e-commerce platforms fell by 12.1 per cent year-over-year. This resulted in approximately 127.8 million consumers making online purchases, indicating a preference shift away from digital channels for some during this holiday season.
Improved Health Environment as a Catalyst

The NRF president, Matthew Shay, explicitly linked these trends to the widespread availability and administration of Covid-19 vaccinations across the US. He stated that these vaccinations created a "dramatically improved health environment" for consumers, fostering greater confidence in venturing out to shop in physical locations.
Overall Shopping Figures and Economic Conditions

In total, just under 180 million Americans shopped over the holiday weekend. While this overall figure represented a slight decrease of 3.5 per cent from 2020, it remained above the four-year average. Despite a dip in spending per consumer, which experts attribute partly to purchases being spread over a longer duration, the NRF reaffirmed its optimistic outlook for a record holiday season with expected sales growth of 8.5 to 10.5 per cent.

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What impact did Covid-19 vaccinations have on US holiday shopping?

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