A recent FDRA holiday report revealed consumers are making a return to Black Friday purchases. And according to KURU Footwear, shoppers better strap on their FitBit and some comfortable sneakers. The comfort brand conducted a survey to find out just how many steps American consumers will log this year.
First, the brand asked consumers if they shopped in-person last year and 50% said they did. (It also asked who planned to shop in-person this year, and 43% responded yes.) Then, the survey asked respondents to share their step-tracking data from Black Friday 2023. Shockingly, Americans took an average 8,347 steps on Black Friday — nearly double the typical daily step count average of 4,588.
How Many Miles Do Americans Walk on Black Friday
Taking it a step further, KURU tallied what those results would mean if applied to 50% of the total U.S. population, 167 million people. It means:
- 167,000,000 x 8,347 = 1.394 trillion steps total
- On Black Friday, Americans walk the equivalent of 697 million miles combined.
- If 50% of the U.S. population walks on Black Friday, they cover enough ground to walk to the moon and back 1,458 times.
- Americans walk 28,000 times around the Earth on Black Friday.
More Black Friday Shopping Facts
The survey further dug into respondents’ shopping habits last year to reveal:
- Of those who shopped during past Black Fridays, the average number of shops they visited was 4.
- Shoppers usually spent 4 hours and 31 minutes perusing stores.
- 60% believe they spend more time shopping in-person on Black Friday, while 40% say they think they spent more time shopping online.
Top reasons for shopping in-person:
- Better deals
- Doorbuster deals
- A more fun experience
- Tradition
- Don’t have to wait for shipping
- Don’t have to pay for shipping
When asked how crowded they felt stores were on Black Friday, respondents said:
- Extremely crowded: 47%
- Somewhat crowded: 42%
- Not crowded at all: 5%
- It changes based on where I go: 6%
When asked what types of stores American Black Friday shoppers primarily visit when shopping in-person on Black Friday, they said:
- Big box retailers: 75%
- Department stores: 45%
- Electronic Stores: 45%
- Outlet stores: 24%
- Specialty stores: 24%
- Malls with multiple stores: 34%
- Other: 3%
Though Americans seem split on shopping for deals in-person or online, the survey reveals a lasting sentiment over the joy and tradition of Black Friday. The numbers from this year have yet to be revealed, but we can be ready for shoppers to get their steps in.
