Nevada shoppers spent $639 million during 2019 Black Friday rush

RENO, Nev. — The Retail Association of Nevada estimates that Silver State shoppers spent just under $639 million over the five-day period across Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year.

In a Dec. 4 press release, association spokesman Bryan Wachter said more than 1.7 million Nevadans took advantage of deals and discounts, buying gifts, decorations and other merchandise.

RAN's parent group, the National Retail Federation, said the average American shopper spent $362 with nearly $260 of that going toward gifts and holiday items.

“Consumers continue to outpace spending projections this holiday season,” said Wachter, senior vice president of RAN.

He said RAN forecasts customer retail sales in Nevada will grow by 5 percent this holiday season, reaching a total of $4.5 billion through November and December. That projection excludes auto sales, restaurants and gasoline.

Of Nevada's 1.7 million shoppers, he said 514,300 shopped in-store while 708,000 shopped only online. The rest used both in-store and on-line.

According to RAN, Nevada shoppers who used both in-store and online channels spent an average of $366.79, about 25 percent more those shopping in only one or the other.

The top purchases over the weekend included apparel (more than half of buyers), followed by toys, electronics, books and video games.

In a larger picture, Nevada's non-store retail sales, which include online retailers, currently sit at an all-time high, per RAN.

In the 12 months through August 2019, non-store retail sales totaled nearly $1.8 billion, a 43.9 percent year-over-year increase. Based on recent trends, RAN estimates total non-store retail sales this holiday season could exceed $522 million.