Record number of shoppers expected on 'Super Saturday'
As gift-givers squeeze in their last bits of holiday shopping before the end of 2025, shoppers on so-called Super Saturday are expected to hit record levels.
The Saturday before Dec. 25 is a popular time for last-minute shopping, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2025 December Holiday Consumer Survey. The Washington, D.C.-based trade association conducts the poll annually. This year, it asked about 8,005 adult consumers about their holiday shopping plans (which NRF defines as Nov. 1 through Dec. 31).
This year, NRF expects Dec. 20 to lure a record-breaking 158.9 million shoppers, up from last year’s 157.2 million and 2022’s record of 158.5 million. The prediction comes as the organization forecasts that holiday spending will eclipse $1 trillion for the first time, after Thanksgiving drew record amounts of shoppers.
Forty-five percent of those consumers plan to shop both in stores and online, up 1% from last year. Twenty-nine percent plan to shop in stores only, and 26% say they intend to stay home and do it online.
When it came to what people are buying, 48% said they'd already bought clothing and accessories, the most popular category. Twenty percent of shoppers said they’d bought home decor and furnishings, coming in on par with last year’s percentage. This year, those decor buyers trailed the 21% buying electronics, but they remained above the percentage of shoppers purchasing jewelry or sporting goods.
Still NRF's survey comes as consumers navigate another economically fraught holiday season. Faced with high prices for essential items, including groceries and electricity, 48% of the 1,146 adults polled by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research said they’re shopping less for nonessential items, up from about one-third in 2021. Of those shopping, 50% are hunting for the lowest prices and 39% are drawing from savings.
Overall, 53% of people said they’re struggling to afford gifts this year, although those making less than $50,000 (65%) and between $50,000 and $100,000 (52%) felt the challenge most acutely.
Lennar wants to lean into affordability
The country’s second-largest homebuilder, Lennar, plans to double down on its strategy to increase volume and expects the federal government to take action that will spur buyers to purchase that volume next year.
In its fourth quarter earnings, Lennar posted a softening in revenues, which it attributed to “market conditions and affordability” — more specifically, more use of incentives by buyers and weakness in the market.
While many other builders report dialing back on construction amid a pullback in sales, Lennar will increase its volume modestly next year by 3%, as it did this year.
“The strategy is let’s build the volume that the country and the consumers need. Let’s make it affordable at this time where affordability is so strained,” Executive Chairman Stuart Miller said Wednesday on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call.
The homebuilder’s strategy aims to prepare it for a return of buyer activity, spurred by lower interest rates or federal government programs, which it expects both to happen next year.
“The federal government has intensified its focus on the national housing crisis, with the strong likelihood of taking decisive actions to enhance affordability,” said Miller. He mentioned the ongoing meetings between national builders and the government, adding, “Do I think that something will come out in 2026? I’d be surprised if something isn’t done. Affordability is very much on the table.”
Lennar reported its average home sale price as $386,000, a 10% year-over-year decrease, with an average incentive of 14%. It expects incentives to drop off next year and the average sales price to be between $365,000 and $375,000 in the next quarter.
For the fiscal year of 2025, Lennar posted a 4.83% year-over-year decline in revenue.
Washington flooding called 'historic crisis'
After a brutal atmospheric river hit Washington last week, cascading disasters have continued, causing widespread property damage across as many as 14 western counties, including King, Snohomish and Skagit.
“Our state is in the middle of a historic crisis, and it remains unpredictable,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a statement Tuesday as he directed $3.5 million in emergency funding to support affected Washingtonians, just days after he declared a state of emergency on Dec. 10.
After the onslaught of storms and wind left sodden ground, levee failures exacerbated the emergency, triggering flash flooding and potential mudslides.
"While it will be some time before we know the full scope of the emotional, physical and financial impact, this natural disaster is undoubtedly one of the most devastating in our state's history," Ferguson said in a press conference later that day.
As of Wednesday, one person had died in the flooding, the Associated Press reported. The outlet also said first responders rescued more than 600 people and evacuated 500-plus, although north of 100,000 have been under evacuation orders over the course of the ordeal.
While the full extent of damage is still unfolding, some homeowners are already assessing how the floods affected their properties. While more than 2 million Washingtonians live in flood-susceptible areas, only about 36,000 have flood insurance policies, The Seattle Times reported.