That's according to numbers released this week by the National Federation of Retailers, as part of its Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. The NRF, working with BIGresearch, found that the average shopper had done only about 47.1 percent of their shopping by the second week of the month, compared to 52.6 percent at the same point last year.
The survey also found that 41 million Americans- including around 21 percent of men and 21 percent of 35-44-year-olds had not yet begun shopping as of the second week.
The difference was attributed partially to the calendar, as there are five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas than in 2007. “Procrastinators are in good company this year because a shorter window between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year means that the holidays have snuck up on many of us,” NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin said as part of the release of the numbers. “Retailers will try to manage the rush of last-minute shoppers with expanded hours, extra employees to stock shelves, and a lot of sales and promotions.”
