Holiday retail sales in the United States 2002-2021

In 2021, holiday retail sales in the United States were forecast to reach about 843.4 billion U.S. dollars. This figure was given as a conservative value; retail sales over the holiday season was projected to be between 843.4 billion U.S. dollars to 859 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. Holiday retail sales have risen substantially since the turn of the century, with holiday retail sales amounting to approximately 416 billion U.S. dollars back in 2002. Holiday retail sales are a fraction of total retail sales in the United States which were around 5.6 trillion U.S. dollars in 2020. Holiday season e-commerce is also on the rise, with increasing numbers of retailers and consumers going digital.

What makes up the winter holiday season in the United States?

The winter holiday season includes shopping occasions such as Thanksgiving weekend - which is made up of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, Super Saturday – the last Saturday before Christmas, and Christmas itself. Thanksgiving weekend is a very popular time for consumers to partake in holiday shopping. In 2019, over 114 million U.S. consumers shopped on Black Friday.

Leading companies in U.S. retail

The domestic retail market in the United States is very competitive, with many companies recording substantial retail sales. Walmart, a retail chain offering low prices and a wide selection of products, is the leading retailer in the United States. Amazon, The Kroger Co., Costco, and Target are a selection of other leading U.S. retailers.