A survey by AAA says 91 percent of those questioned plan to purchase gifts this year. Of those 14 percent plan to spend more.
According to a recent AAA Consumer Pulse Holiday Shopping survey, nearly one in three shoppers (28%) will wait until the final two weeks of November to purchase their gifts. Twenty-four percent of people began their holiday shopping before November, taking advantage of early retail discounts, while the remaining consumers (29%) will wait until December to purchase gifts.
"Retailers are trying to grab customer's attention earlier every year," said Belinda Dabrowski, managing director, AAA Partnership Development, The Auto Club Group. "That can only help consumers, who according to our research, may spend slightly more this year, but are still looking for a good deal. Economic factors like lower gas prices leave customers with extra money in their pockets, which helps raise consumer confidence and spending.”
Nearly half of holiday shoppers (46%) plan to participate in Black Friday this year, which is about the same as last year. However, 1 in 3 people (33%) plan to do the majority of their shopping online. Cyber Monday is expected to be bigger than ever this year. The online shopping day has seen a 14 percentage point increase in the number of consumers since 2010. This year, six in ten people (63%) are
Top Five Holiday Gifts:
- Apparel and accessories (71%)
- Gift cards (65%)
- Books (39%)
- Toys (38%)
- Jewelry (36%)