Filed under: Black Friday, Holiday Shopping, Shopping
With all the talk about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you'd think most Americans would be revving up for a spending spree. But that's not the case, according to a Bankrate.com survey released on Wednesday: Most Americans will sit on the sidelines on two of the biggest shopping days of the year.
About 28 percent of Americans expect to shop at a store on Black Friday, the survey found. If you add in online shopping that day, about 40 percent said they would make some purchases on Black Friday.
But those who do expect to shop plan to plunk down a few hundred dollars apiece. The survey found that consumers expected to spend about $400 on average on Black Friday.
"Consumers are well-aware that deep discounts will be offered throughout the holiday shopping season," Bankrate.com analyst Jeanine Skowronski said. "They don't necessarily need to brave the Black Friday crowds to score them."
Millennials More Likely to Shop in Stores
About 25 percent said they would buy online on Cyber Monday. And, of those who said they would, spending was projected to be a bit less than those headed out on Black Friday -- $361 on average.
One response that might concern consumer advocates was how those surveyed said they planned to pay for their purchases. About 43 percent of those who said they would make purchases online said they would pay with their debit cards -- a similar percentage as those who said they'd use credit cards.
"Online shopping is one of the riskiest ways to use a debit card," Skowronski said. "Credit cards offer better consumer protections. This is especially important given all of the data breaches that have occurred over the past couple of years."
