Almost nine in 10 consumers (87%) plan to spend less than or the same as they did last year on holiday gifts in 2011, according to an Ipsos Public Affairs survey for Offers.com.
Americans expect to spend an average of $515.94 on gifts for family, friends, coworkers, and others, according to a BIGresearch study for the National Retail Federation. Gifts for family members account for 78% of total holiday gift spending, at an average of $403.26 (calculations by Research Alert).
Total holiday spending is projected at $704.18 per person, including gifts, decorations, food, and other items. Men expect to spend somewhat more than women do — an average of $721.25 compared to $687.94. Those who live in the Northeast will spend more than those in other regions: $780.19, compared to $693.89 among residents of the South, $683.15 among those in the West, and $680.71 among those in the Midwest.
Consumers with household incomes of $50,000 or more expect to spend nearly twice as much as those with incomes below $50,000 — an average of $963.15 compared to $504.98.
If merchandise and pricing were the same, 69% would prefer to do their holiday shopping in retail stores; 26% would prefer to shop online, according to Ipsos. Almost half (47%) say they would shop online if that’s where the better deals were this season, though 46% would still prefer to shop in-store.
Women (49%) are more likely than men (39%) to say they plan to spend less on holiday gifts this year than last year, and they’re more likely than men to say they’ll look for online coupons or coupon codes before making holiday purchases (52% vs. 43%). Coupons are also more popular with holiday shoppers under age 55 than with older shoppers (53% vs. 37%). Four in 10 online shoppers say they always (16%) or usually (24%) look for coupons or promotion codes when they’re shopping online.
More than half of U.S. mobile owners (52%) plan to use their mobiles for shopping-related functions more during the 2011 holiday season than they did in 2010, according to JiWire. Another 28% expect to use them as often as they did last year. Only 14% won’t be using them at all.
Mobile devices are considered most helpful for comparing prices, researching products and/or reading reviews, and finding coupons or promotions.
The majority of Americans start their holiday shopping in October or November, though a fifth wait until December, according to BIGresearch.
Nearly all Americans plan to buy holiday gifts for family members, and the majority will buy them for friends, but fewer than a third plan to buy them for coworkers.
Consumers who will buy holiday greeting cards expect to spend an average of $33.37 on the cards plus postage. Those who will buy decorations plan to spend $68.33. Fewer than half expect to buy flowers or seasonal plants, but those who do plan to buy them expect to spend $39.71 on them. Food is a significant expense; holiday shoppers who plan to buy candy and seasonal foods will spend an average of $105.42.
Women are more likely than men to plan to shop for holiday items at discount stores, grocery stores, and craft or fabric stores, while men are more likely than women to plan to shop at electronics stores. When asked to choose the most important factor in choosing which store to shop for holiday items, more women than men cite sales or discounts (47% vs. 36%).
Almost half of Americans (47%) plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping online, but only about a fifth plan to do more than half of it online. Six in 10 shoppers (60%) plan to take advantage of holiday sales and/or discounts to buy additional (non-gift) items for themselves or their families, and they anticipate spending $217.89 on these purchases.
Sources: “Fall Shopping Poll,” October 2011, Ipsos Public Affairs for Offers.com. Ipsos Public Affairs, Julio Franco, Senior Research Manager, 1271 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10020; 646-313-6117; info@ipsos-na.com; www.ipsos-na.com. Price: Available online at no charge. Offers.com, div. of Vertive Inc., Steve Schaffer, CEO, 3271 Executive Center Dr., #100, Austin, TX 78731; 512-342-8378; www.offers.com.
“Mobile Audience Insights Report, Q2 2011,” JiWire, David Blumenfeld, SVP Strategy & Business Development, 150 Post St., #500, San Francisco, CA 94108; 415-821-8600; insights@jiwire.com; www.jiwire.com. Price: Available via online subscription at no charge.
“2011 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey,” BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation. BIGresearch, Kim Rayburn, SVP Client Solutions & Marketing, 400 W. Wilson Bridge, #200, Worthington, OH 43085; 614-846-0146; kim@bigresearch.com; www.bigresearch.com. Price: Available online at no charge. National Retail Federation, Matthew Shay, President/CEO, 325 7th St., NW, Washington, DC 20004; 202-783-7971; shaym@nrf.com; www.nrf.com.
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