CTA: Tech Runs Hot During Thanksgiving Shopping Week

Smartphones, TVs and tablets topped shopping lists as about 59.9 million Americans bought or planned to buy technology products over Thanksgiving shopping week, which includes the Monday before Thanksgiving through “Cyber Monday,” according to the Consumer Technology Association, the organization formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Association.

Online and mobile shoppers are expected to approach the number of in-store shoppers, the CTA said, citing the findings of a post-Black Friday survey. A combined 85% of consumers who shopped did so online or via mobile, compared to 94% who shopped at brick-and-mortar stores, the organization said.

CTA expects that Americans will spend $40 billion over the week, with consumers who shop spending an average of $319. That’s a 14% decrease over 2014, but higher than the numbers pulled in during 2013.

Overall, 27% of U.S. adults shopped on Black Friday, up from 24% in 2014, and 10% shopped on Thanksgiving, down from 14% last year.

Though final numbers are yet to be tallied, the CTA said the top 10 tech purchases during the week are expected to be:

1.    Smartphones
2.    Televisions
3.    Tablets
4.    Tech accessories
5.    Laptops
6.    Videogame consoles
7.    DVD/Blu-Ray Players
8.    Headphones
9.    Fitness activity trackers

10.  Digital media streaming devices

"For the first time, emerging tech products such as fitness activity trackers and digital streaming devices broke into the top ten most-purchased tech products over the holiday shopping week," said Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D., the CTA’s chief economist and senior director of research, in a statement. "The perennial Black Friday tech favorites such as smartphones and televisions dominated American's tech purchases again this year."