NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Holiday shoppers are heading out on a late Super Saturday, aptly named for the last Saturday before Christmas, to finish gathering gifts on what is expected to be the second-busiest shopping day of the year.
According to the National Retail Federation, nearly 142 million consumers plan to shop on Super Saturday. This is an increase of over 12% from 2017, the last time Christmas fell on a Monday.
“Traditionally, Super Saturday marks the final major shopping holiday of the year,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “While most consumers still have plenty of shopping left to do, retailers are prepared both online and in stores with gifts, decorations and other items that people need to make this season fun and memorable.”
Due to the proximity of Super Saturday to Christmas Day, more consumers are planning on purchasing last-minute gifts and other holiday items in-person, the NRF said.
To complete these last-minute Christmas to-dos, shoppers are out en masse in New York City, and the expectation for shopping traffic prompted the MTA to return “shopper specials” trains through the Metro-North Railroad on Saturday.
Two additional New Haven line trains into Grand Central in the morning and two additional New Haven-bound trains leaving Grand Central in the evening were added for Saturday, the MTA said.
The Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines will also be running longer trains all weekend.
“The holidays can be the busiest time of year for many riders, and the Metro-North ‘shopper specials’ are back to help with any last-minute holiday shopping,” Metro-North Railroad President Cathy Rinaldi said.
Macy’s in Herald Square opened its doors at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, and 1010 WINS/WCBS 880 touched base with shoppers on the ground.
“Well I was just picking up a little few odds and ends, that’s it. You know just in case, you know sometimes you miss people so you want to have a little extra,” Tanya Harrison told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880. She bought cologne as a safe backup present.
When asked what she was shopping for, another shopper visiting from Fairfax, VA told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880 that she was grabbing “Last minute stocking stuffers and things to make everyone feel a little bit of joy this season.”
The NRF says that despite the swaths of people that will be out on Saturday, it isn’t quite the end of holiday shopping, as 70% of consumers say they plan to shop in the week following Christmas Day.