Memorial Day is held on the last Monday in May to commemorate and honor those who have served. The long holiday weekend is also an opportunity for relaxation, socializing, grilling, dining out and hosting or attending parties.

Due to the retail tradition of throwing sales on long weekends, plenty of stores will be holding Memorial Day sales. To get a read on how consumers will be shopping over the holiday weekend, we performed a survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults*.

More Shoppers Plan to Hit Memorial Day Sales This Year, Prioritizing Food and Clothing

While Memorial Day sales tend to be focused on big-ticket purchases like furniture and appliances, the top category consumers say they’ll shop is food/beverage, which correlates with hosting – and a high likelihood of shopping at grocery and big box stores. Eating at a restaurant or bar came in second, and clothing purchases in third, which tracks with Memorial Day serving as the gateway to summer (and a weekend for summer prep).

Top Memorial Day weekend purchases:

• Food/beverages for a cookout, 34%
• Eating out at a restaurant or bar, 19%
• Clothing, including shoes and accessories, 17%
• Home improvement and gardening, 17%
• American flags or patriotic decorations, 15%
• Home goods/décor (e.g., plates, pillows, art), 13%
• Party decorations and serving ware, 10%
• Electronics (e.g., laptop, smartphone, smart watch), 10%
• Pool or beach gear (e.g., swimsuits, towels, floats), 10%
• Tickets to an event or festival, 10%

Our survey also revealed that more shoppers are planning to shop Memorial Day weekend sales this year, with 36% (up 18% vs. 2024) of consumers planning to shop the sales and spend an average of $289 (-$8 vs 2024). 

Consumers Cut Back on Spending as Prices Rise, Highlighting Demand for Savings Leading into Memorial Day Weekend

With prices continuing to rise, many consumers are feeling the strain. To better understand their mindset, we conducted an alternative survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults** to gauge how consumers are feeling about the current state of the economy and the retail landscape overall.

The results revealed that, over the past month, shoppers have noticed price increases across a wide range of categories – from groceries and dining out to electronics, fashion, and more.

• Groceries, 71%
• Dining out, 43%
• Electronics, 35%
• Fashion, 32%
• Gasoline/Fuel, 31%
• Shoes, 28%
• Entertainment, 25%
• Rent/Housing, 20%
• Toys, 19%

As a result, many consumers are planning to scale back their summer spending in specific areas in an effort to better manage their budgets – reinforcing the growing demand for savings opportunities and smarter shopping strategies.

The top five categories where consumers plan to cut back on upcoming spending:

• Dining out or takeout, 50%
• Clothing and accessories, 49%
• Electronics (ex: phones, laptops, gaming devices), 45%
• Travel and leisure (ex: vacations, outings), 42%
• Home goods and furniture, 41%

This shift in behavior is especially relevant heading into Memorial Day weekend, as many shoppers plan to take advantage of sales specifically in the categories they were planning to cut back on – using the discounts to stretch their dollars further and still get the items they need for the season ahead.

Memorial Day Shopping Tips

Our survey revealed what consumers plan to shop. But if you’re building your own Memorial Day shopping strategy, follow these tips to save the most.

1. Find the Biggest Savings On the Big Stuff

Memorial Day weekend is famous for blowout sales on furniture, appliances and mattresses. That’s a function of the three-day weekend. Shoppers prefer a bit more time to weigh these big purchases, and the extra weekend day gives them that. Knowing this, retailers sweeten the deal with big sales. Pay particular attention to Wayfair, Overstock, Ashley Furniture, Mattress Firm and similar retailers — they’re known for their Memorial Day deals.

2. Snap Up Summer Clothing Steals

Memorial Day is a sweet spot for summer clothing deals. Yes, the “best” time to shop summer threads is toward the end of the season. But if you want to wear this season’s styles this season, Memorial Day sales will offer deals on swimsuits, lightweight dresses, shorts, sandals and more.

3. Chill a Bit on Tech

You’ll see retailers marking down TVs and other tech for Memorial Day. But Prime Day is right around the corner, and it’s one of the best times of the year to shop tech. So hold off and concentrate your Memorial Day shopping efforts on the above items.

4. Hit Those Cash Back Offers

RetailMeNot partners with hundreds of retailers to give you cash back (which you can redeem via Venmo or PayPal) on your online purchases. You’ll get a percentage back of what you spend, and, yes, cash back STACKS with retailers’ Memorial Day offers and promo codes. Sign up before you shop.

Survey Methodology

* Source: Ziff Davis Shopping Q2 Seasonal Survey among Adults 18+. N=1144. Fielded in February 2025.

**Source: Ziff Davis Shopping Survey Adults 18+. N=1120. Fielded in May 2025.

The post Memorial Day 2025 Shopping By the Numbers: Top Shopping Categories and Consumer Spending Plans appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.

Source link