The Business of Thanksgiving: More Than Just Turkey & Tradition
Each November, Thanksgiving turns from a family gathering into a major engine of U.S. consumer spending; it drives nationwide expenditure on groceries, travel, dining, and the official launch of the holiday shopping season.
Below is how Thanksgiving became big business, and why the underlying trends matter far beyond the dinner table.
The Numbers Behind the Feast
In 2025, the average cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for ten people is estimated at around $55–$60, depending on the menu and where you live.
Zooming out and looking at the numbers quickly, it seems:
? Americans are expected to spend hundreds of dollars per household on food, drinks, and décor for Thanksgiving, with some surveys putting the average host’s spending near $400–$500.
? Turkey alone is a serious line item: U.S. consumers are projected to have spent close to $1 billion on Thanksgiving turkeys in 2024.
✈️ Travel is another major layer. Roughly half of U.S. adults say they plan to travel for Thanksgiving, and nearly half of those travelers expect to spend over $500 on transportation and lodging.
Add in restaurants, takeout, and early holiday shopping, and Thanksgiving becomes one of the most economically dense weeks of the year.
How Thanksgiving Became an Economic Engine
Grocery Strategy & Meal Deals
Major retailers now treat Thanksgiving as a strategic battleground. Chains like Walmart, Target, Kroger, and others curate full Thanksgiving “meal bundles” that feed a family for as little as $4–$5 per person, using aggressive pricing on turkeys and sides as traffic-drivers into their broader ecosystem. For grocers, Thanksgiving isn’t just about profit on the meal itself—it’s about capturing the household’s entire holiday spend and loyalty for the rest of the season.
Travel, Hospitality & Leisure
Thanksgiving remains one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Surveys suggest that over 50% of American adults plan to travel to a holiday gathering or vacation destination, with many spending $500–$1,000+ on flights, gas, and hotels. For airlines, hotels, and short-term rentals, this week acts as a stress test of pricing power, capacity planning, and logistics. It’s also a real-time snapshot of how confident households
feel about their discretionary spending.
Thanksgiving as the Gateway to Holiday Retail
Thanksgiving doesn’t end at dessert. It flows straight into Black Friday and the broader holiday shopping season. In recent years, Black Friday weekend alone has generated tens of billions of dollars in retail sales in the U.S., with the average shoppers spending hundreds of dollars over just a few days.
The lines between Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the rest of the holiday period have
blurred, forming a multi-week cycle of promotions, inventory bets, and margin management.
Lessons from the Thanksgiving Economy
⏰ Timing is everything.
– Seasonal demand requires precise planning, from inventory and staffing to pricing and promotions. Mistiming the cycle can compress margins or leave capital tied up in unsold goods.
? Experience and emotion drive resilience.
– Even in periods of economic stress, many households protect their holiday budgets. Traditions, family gatherings, and ritual spending often hold up better than other discretionary categories.
⚖️ Scale and efficiency win in mature seasonal markets.
– As Thanksgiving retail matures, larger, more efficient operators with strong logistics, data, and supply chains increasingly dominate. ⌗ Data turns patterns into strategy.
– Retailers and service providers use Thanksgiving as a live case study in consumer behavior testing price sensitivity, loyalty, and channel preferences ahead of the broader holiday season.
Thanksgiving is more than a meal; it’s a case study in how tradition, emotion, and logistics
combine to create repeatable, durable economic activity.
Our Current Investment Offerings
Here are the opportunities currently available through Eppler Capital Funds:
– Promissory Note Fund – Fixed monthly returns up to 10% per year, backed by secured notes in established, cash-flowing businesses.
– San Diego Real Estate Fund (MMTM VIII) – Targets the San Diego housing shortage by acquiring and improving residential properties with new ADUs. Projected ROI: 40%+ over 24 months, with strong tax benefits. Closing 11/30/25.
– Texas Oil & Gas JV (TSO Ten Well) – Invests in proven-producing wells across Texas, offering 20%+ IRRs and 65–75% first-year tax deductions on active income.
Closing 12/31/25.
