A large crowd of people shop during a Black Friday sales event at Macy's flagship store on 34th St. in New York City, U.S., November 22, 2018. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than 165 million U.S. shoppers made purchases over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation said on Tuesday, beating the industry group’s expectations this year but lower than last year.

More than 174 million U.S. shoppers made purchases during the same period last year, the retail trade body said.