SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In addition to enjoying turkey and family, a majority of Americans plan to shop on Thanksgiving day this year. Ebates, a pioneer and leader in online cash back shopping, released the results of its 2015 Holiday survey that examined Americans’ behavior around holiday shopping. The survey revealed that more than half (55 percent) of Americans plan to shop on Thanksgiving. In fact, more people plan to shop on Thanksgiving than Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Forty eight percent of Americans plan to shop on Black Friday and 42 percent of Americans plan on shopping on Cyber Monday.
It turns out that Americans like deals. When asked why they chose to begin holiday shopping on Thanksgiving, 39 percent said that it is because Black Friday deals are actually starting earlier. This is followed by better selection of products that haven’t been picked over (24 percent), and killing time after eating Thanksgiving dinner (18 percent).
The survey also discovered that 28 percent plan to eat an earlier Thanksgiving dinner in order to get a head start on shopping, and one in five (20 percent) say they will scope out deals instead of cooking in the earlier part of the day.
There are some Americans who will skip a home cooked meal altogether. Nine percent reveal that they’d rather eat out in order to get a jump start on the Black Friday sales.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Still Remain Big Shopping Days
Black Friday still remains a very popular day to shop. With almost half of American adults (48 percent) planning to do the majority of their holiday shopping on Black Friday and 42 percent planning to shop on Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving weekend remains the biggest shopping weekend of the year.
When asked why they plan to shop on Black Friday, 81 percent of those polled said it was because they want to get the best prices on holiday gifts and 43 percent say it is a family tradition. Almost a quarter (24 percent) say they will shop on Black Friday to get all of their holiday shopping done in one day and one in five (20 percent) say it’s because they ‘love the madness.’
Online Shopping is Popular this Holiday Weekend
Americans are choosing to shop from the comfort of their homes this year. More than half (52 percent) reveal that they will shop online via their laptop. This is followed by a home computer (37 percent), and a mobile device (29 percent). Only 4 percent say they will do any Black Friday shopping via smart watch.
“Black Friday, Cyber Monday and now Thanksgiving have become the most popular days to shop for holiday gifts and we understand that while it is important to take advantage of the deals and discounts, it is equally important to enjoy the holidays with friends and family,” said Kevin H. Johnson, CEO of Ebates. “That’s why Ebates.com makes it quick and easy to shop and earn cash back at your favorite stores from the comfort of your home so that you can cross items off your shopping list and go back to spending quality time with your family and friends.”
Of those Americans who do not shop primarily on Thanksgiving weekend or Cyber Monday, 39 percent say they do their holiday shopping in October, and 31 percent admit to doing their holiday shopping very last minute – the week before Christmas. One third (34 percent) admit to doing their holiday shopping year-round and a very prepared 10 percent say they do their holiday shopping in the summer to avoid the holiday crowds.
Ebates.com is offering special promotions to save on holiday purchases. Visit Ebates.com for more information. Shoppers who prefer to shop on the go can download the free Ebates.com app at Google Play and the App Store.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Instant.ly on behalf of Ebates.com in October 2015 among 1,128 adults ages 18 and older and 516 teens ages 13-16. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Laura Ruark at (540) 599-7886.
About Ebates
Ebates rewards consumers with cash back on purchases while also providing access to thousands of coupons, discounts, promotions and special deals, including free shipping, at over 1,800 retailers. Free membership allows consumers to shop online at their favorite retailers while earning a percentage of every purchase they make, paid quarterly in the form of a "Big Fat Check" or through PayPal. From niceties to necessities, members of Ebates benefit from incentives at top-name merchants for everything from furniture to fashion and appliances to airfare. Because shopping with Ebates is hassle-free—no rebate forms to fill out and no points or miles to redeem—the site supports a strong community of savvy shoppers across the country and around the world.
