NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Americans are feeling more patriotic than ever and loading up on flags, clothes and decorations ahead of the July 4th holiday, according to a new survey.
The survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF), a group of the nation's biggest store chains, shows that about 24.5 million Americans plan to purchase more patriotic paraphernalia ahead of the Independence Day holiday compared with last year.
The survey found that 85 percent of consumers -- or 184 million Americans -- will celebrate July 4th this year by either shopping or just hanging out.
One-fourth of consumers (26.6 percent) will hit the stores for special July 4th sales. That's up from 24.2 percent the year before, the report said.
And among their favorite activities, 60 percent said they plan to go to picnics or cookouts, 37.8 percent will watch fireworks, and 9.5 percent said they will go to a parade.
"Consumers want to demonstrate their patriotism by displaying flags and wearing red, white and blue," NRF CEO Tracy Mullin said in a statement. "Retailers are offering a variety of patriotic merchandise to keep up with a steady demand from their customers."
Travel is also high on the list this year, the report said, with nearly one in 10 consumers, or 19 million Americans, saying they will go on a vacation over the Independence Day weekend.
The NRF survey polled 7,709 consumers and was conducted from June 2 to 9. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percent.
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