The five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday saw fewer shoppers than a year ago, a major retail-industry group said Tuesday, due in part to the later timing of the holiday this year and an avalanche of deals through October.

Overall spending is projected to slow this holiday season compared to the period last year as price-sensitive shoppers are more cautious in their purchasing, retail experts said.

About 197 million Americans shopped over the five days from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday this year, data from the National Retail Federation showed on Tuesday. The number of shoppers exceeded the retail body's prior expectations of 183.