Online shopping is on the rise in the United States, but nothing beats going into a store and seeing the product in person.

Black Friday still attracts a huge slice of the Holiday shopping pie, and even Cyber Monday deal seekers say it will only prompt them to go the store to close the deal.

The biggest shopping days of the season are right around the corner and consumers are ready to hit the stores. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), 41% of consumers plan to head to the stores on Black Friday, 18% of consumers plan to shop in a physical store on Thanksgiving, and 32% of consumers will hit the stores on the following Saturday and/or Sunday.

“While shopping and bargain-hunting is certainly still synonymous with the Black Friday shopping weekend, our research found that many consumers will also use these outings to spend time with family and friends, as well as take advantage of holiday activities and entertainment being offered in shopping centers”

Additionally, the Monday following the holiday weekend, also known as Cyber Monday, is not just for online shopping, as more than one-third (36%) of consumers plan to go to a physical store that day – highlighting the need for physical store presence and the omni-channel experience.

Younger consumers are the most likely to shop in physical stores Thanksgiving Thursday through Cyber Monday, with 25-34 year-olds most likely to shop in a store on Thanksgiving (32%) and Millennials (18-24 year-olds) most likely to shop in stores on Black Friday (63%).

Of those consumers planning to shop in store on Thanksgiving Day, the number one reason cited by 51% is to get a head-start on bargains. However, deals and promotions aren’t the only reason for a Thanksgiving shopping trip – 45% of those consumers said it is an opportunity for a fun outing with family and friends.

Furthermore, a greater proportion of shopping center visitors on Thanksgiving Day will engage in an experiential activity – such as a philanthropic effort like a food or clothing drive, an activity such as a movie or ice skating, attending a holiday event such as a tree lighting or concert, getting a picture with Santa or going out to eat. On Thanksgiving Day, 62 percent of shoppers will also engage in a non-shopping activity, compared to 52 percent on Saturday or Sunday and just 45 percent on Black Friday itself.

“While shopping and bargain-hunting is certainly still synonymous with the Black Friday shopping weekend, our research found that many consumers will also use these outings to spend time with family and friends, as well as take advantage of holiday activities and entertainment being offered in shopping centers,” said Jesse Tron, spokesperson for ICSC. “It certainly speaks to the notion that shopping centers are the host of the holidays in more ways than one – they of course are places of commerce – but are clearly an experiential destination for consumers as well.”

Joshua Lott/Getty Images
Joshua Lott/Getty Images
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Black Friday also brings out the worst in people, in addition to fighting over Elsa dolls in the toy aisle, identity theft increases dramatically over the Holiday shopping seasons.

With that in mind, Meemic Insurance offers these 10 tips to help prevent identity theft during the holiday shopping season and throughout the year:

  1. Limit your exposure by only taking credit cards with you that you intend to use. If your purse or wallet is stolen, the impact will be significantly reduced if you only lose one or two credit cards
  2. Secure your mail, know your delivery time and collect your mail promptly.  Deliver outgoing mail to a post office box or directly to the post office rather than leaving it in your home mailbox
  3. Secure sensitive information including social security cards, passports, tax returns, loan and credit card statements, unused checks, cancelled checks, bank statements, and keys to safe deposit boxes
  4. Check your credit reports with all three agencies periodically to identify any discrepancies
  5. Carefully review your credit card statements when they arrive following the holiday season.  Notify the company immediately about any questionable charges
  6. Internet "phishing" scams masterfully mimic legitimate organizations. Do not disclose personal information unless you initiate the transaction and the website is secure: a lock icon on the taskbar, and the web address includes "s" (secure), i.e. "https"
  7. Avoid predictable names/numbers such as mother's maiden name, pet name, school name, nickname, birthdate, or phone number, for user names and passwords
  8. Make financial transactions by phone only with known organizations
  9. Question any requests that are made for your social security number
  10. Shred old information such as credit card statements

If you suspect identity fraud has occurred:

  • Immediately close the affected bank/credit card accounts
  • Call the credit reporting bureaus and place fraud alerts on your credit reports
  • File a local police report, get a copy, and carry it with you; it may be needed to demonstrate that you are an identity fraud victim
  • File a complaint with the FTC. Officials use the FTC database to investigate identity fraud claims.

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