Omar Roy, 72, was arrested in connection with the murder of jeweler Dionisio Carlos Valladares.
NRF: 174M Americans Shopped Over Thanksgiving Weekend
This exceeded the National Retail Federation’s expectations, as consumers took advantage of deals and good weather.
Washington--More than 174 million Americans shopped in stores and online between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, according to the National Retail Federation.
This beat the NRF’s initial estimate that 164 million people would shop over the weekend.
This year marked the first that the National Retail Federation included Cyber Monday data in its final review of the weekend, which, combined with a new methodology for gathering numbers, means that it cannot make comparisons to previous years.
Though the NRF did not release total sales numbers for the weekend, it said overall, it was a strong start to the holiday season for retailers.
In a conference call Tuesday, CEO Matthew Shay attributed retailers’ performance to a number of factors: positive consumer sentiment, the overall health of the macro economy, favorable weather across the country and an investment from retailers in both the in-store experience and technology.
Shay also added that for first time in several years, there were no disruptive external factors, like the so-called fiscal cliff, a government shutdown, elections or Brexit, looming over the weekend.
These positive results from the NRF mirror what many jewelers told National Jeweler Monday morning when asked how the start of the holiday shopping season went for them.
According to the NRF, among those who shopped over the weekend, 60 percent said they were mostly driven to shop by the sales. Forty eight percent said the deals they saw this weekend were better than those earlier in the season, which indicates that retailers were ready with the right inventory mixes at good prices, Shay said.
The average spend per person over the five-day period was $335.47.
The demographic that spent the most was the 25- to 34-year-old age group at $419.52. Interestingly, 50 percent of that age group was shopping at department stores, either in store or online.
Fifty eight million consumers shopped exclusively online, 51 million shopped exclusively in store and 65 million did both. The multichannel shopper spent $82, or 32 percent more, on average than the online-only shopper, and $49, or 17 percent more, on average than the in-store shopper.
Top shopping destinations included department stores (43 percent), online retailers (42 percent), electronic stores (32 percent), clothing and accessories stores (31 percent), and discount stores (31 percent).
Some of the most popular gifts purchased included clothing or accessories (58 percent), toys (38 percent), books and other media (31 percent), electronics
The most popular day for in-store shopping was Black Friday followed by Small Business Saturday. The top two days consumers shopped online were Cyber Monday and Black Friday.
RELATED CONTENT: The 10 Days Predicted to be the Busiest This Holiday SeasonLooking ahead, Shay said he expects a strong holiday season, between the success of this weekend and the four full weekends of shopping left.
Still, according to the NRF, 91 percent of shoppers still have more shopping to do and 90 percent of them expect promotions to be the same or better as the holiday season progresses.
“A big key (to meeting expectations) is going to be capturing the momentum that we’ve seen over the last few days, turning that consumer interest into actual sales,” Shay said. “To make that happen, I think we’ll see retailers focusing on their inventory management, pulling all the levers that they can in all areas so ensure they’ve got the right product in the right place, the merchandising mix, the pricing mix, the marketing.”
The Latest

The New Orleans-based brand’s “Beyond Katrina” jewels honor the communities affected by the storm.

Lilian Raji explains why joining an affiliate network is essential for brands seeking placements in U.S. consumer publications.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

The organization has awarded a total of $42,000 through its scholarship programs this year.


The winner of the inaugural David Yurman Gem Awards Grant will be announced live at the 2026 Gem Awards gala.

As summer winds down, celebrate the sunny disposition of the month’s birthstones: peridot and spinel.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

Moshe Haimoff, a social media personality and 47th Street retailer, was robbed of $559,000 worth of jewelry by men in construction outfits.

The insurance company’s previous president and CEO, Scott Murphy, has split his role and will continue as CEO.

The nearly six-month pause of operations at its Kagem emerald mine earlier this year impacted the miner’s first-half results.

The necklace uses spinel drops to immortalize the moment Aphrodite’s tears mixed with her lover Adonis’ blood after he was fatally wounded.

The diamond miner and marketer warned last week that it expected to be in the red after significantly cutting prices in Q2.

Jewelers of America’s 35th annual design contest recognized creativity, artistry, style, and excellence.

Tratner succeeds Andie Weinman, who will begin stepping back from the buying group’s day-to-day operations.

The president made the announcement via Truth Social Wednesday, adding that India also will face a penalty for its dealings with Russia.

The luxury titan’s star brand Gucci continued to struggle amid a "tough" environment.

Its opening marks the completion of the retailer’s new 11,000-square-foot store in the Texas capital.

Respondents shared concerns about tariffs and commentary on the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

“Making a Killing in Diamonds” tells the story of Mimi Rosen, the disappearance of a scientist, and the murder of lab-grown diamond CEO.

Senior Editor Lenore Fedow learned a lot when she took a behind-the-scenes factory tour with the jewelry brand earlier this year.

The first-time exhibitors, set to debut at the New York City show, share a devotion to craftsmanship, storytelling, and material integrity.

The online auction house’s September sale will feature rough Brazilian emeralds of various qualities.

She’ll lead an executive committee consisting of President-Elect Bryan Moeller, Mitchell Clark, Bill Farmer, and Larry Rickert.

Announced Sunday, the deal will set the tax on goods imported into the United States from the European Union at 15 percent.

A new edition of the Italian brand’s “Ipanema” collection has debuted with gemstones that evoke Brazil’s breathtaking views.

The retailer will refer its customers to WonderCare, founded by venture capitalist and watch collector Kevin O’Leary.