Retailers prepare all year for big-ticket holiday sales, but 2026 consumer data shows shoppers are bypassing mattresses and grills for everyday necessities.
Labor Day has a reputation as the weekend for the big purchase. The mattress. The grill. Retailers build their promotional calendars around it.
But when RetailMeNot surveyed over 1,100 consumers about their 2026 Labor Day weekend shopping plans, the number one purchase category wasn’t grills or mattresses.
It was groceries. At 42%.
Groceries outpaced clothing and footwear by 16 points and outpaced every other category by wider margins. This year, 73% of consumers plan to show up to Labor Day sales. They’re just showing up with a different list than the one retailers planned for.
TL;DR — Labor Day 2026 At a Glance
- 42% of shoppers are prioritizing groceries & essentials.
- $341 is the average planned spend among shoppers.
- 11% plan to buy a mattress, despite major retailer promotions.
- Bottom Line: Consumers are showing up for Labor Day sales with everyday necessity lists rather than big-ticket home purchases—opening up deep value on clearance items for those who do want to buy big.
What the Grocery Number Actually Tells Us
A consumer who picks groceries over a mattress on a sale weekend knows the mattress deal is there. They looked at it and decided their budget is better spent on something they need this week.
That decision shows up in the average spend too. A $341 average is a stock-up number. It belongs to someone who planned to be there and knew what they wanted.
Nearly 1 in 3 consumers said they won’t shop Labor Day weekend sales at all. Consumers are getting more specific about which sale moments are worth showing up for.
What Are Consumers Buying for Labor Day 2026?
RetailMeNot surveyed 1,133 consumers in summer 2026 about their Labor Day weekend shopping plans. Here is what they plan to buy:
| Category | % of Shoppers Planning to Buy |
| Groceries and household essentials | 42% |
| Clothing and footwear | 26% |
| Seasonal clearance summer items | 26% |
| Health and wellness products | 21% |
| Home improvement items | 20% |
| Beauty and personal care products | 18% |
| Grills and BBQ equipment | 15% |
| Back-to-school supplies | 15% |
| Home appliances | 15% |
| Electronics and tech | 15% |
| Furniture and home décor | 14% |
| Outdoor furniture and patio items | 13% |
| Mattresses and bedding | 11% |
| Travel items and luggage | 10% |
Non-Shoppers: 27% of consumers said they do not plan to shop Labor Day weekend sales at all.
Average Budget: $341 average planned spend among those who intend to shop.
The Gap Between What’s On Sale and What’s On the List
The categories consumers are least likely to prioritize are the same ones retailers are discounting the hardest.
Grills sit at 15% on the consumer purchase list. Retailers can discount them up to 50% after Labor Day as summer inventory clears. Patio furniture and outdoor items are at 13%, with some of the steepest markdowns of the year. Mattresses are at 11%, and Labor Day weekend is historically one of the strongest windows to buy one.
Retailers are pricing for a closing summer season. Consumers are planning a grocery run. That gap is where the value is for anyone paying attention, and where stacking cash back through the RetailMeNot Rewards app on top of clearance pricing stretches a budget the furthest.
What This Means for Shoppers Heading Into the Weekend
Practical categories are leading this year’s data.
Labor Day is still a real sale event. The deals on grills, patio furniture, outdoor gear, mattresses, and home furnishings are among the strongest of the year. Most consumers are not planning to shop those categories, which means the value is there for anyone willing to look past their grocery list. The RetailMeNot Rewards app makes it easy to find and stack those savings before the weekend ends.
Consumers know what they came for. The question is whether they’ll notice what else is waiting.
Methodology:
RetailMeNot Group Q3 Consumer Survey fielded in May 2026. N=1,134
The post Labor Day 2026 Consumer Trends: Why Shoppers Are Choosing Groceries Over Mattresses appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
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