Peter Schorsch
There is bad news for anyone annoyed when Christmas decorations start gracing the halls of retails establishments before kids have even said “trick or treat”: Nearly half of consumers said they started, or had planned to start, their holiday shopping before Nov. 1.
The survey, taken by the National Retail Federation, found that was the case among 43% of respondents.
“It’s clear that shoppers are already in the holiday spirit and in search of the perfect gift,” Florida Retail Federation President and CEO Scott Shalley said.
“Florida retailers are here to help. With great products, excellent customer service and holiday deals, your local retail stores are the best place to shop this holiday season. When you choose to ‘Find It In Florida,’ you’re supporting local jobs and businesses this merry season.”
The majority of consumers who planned to start shopping early (60%) said they wanted to spread out their budget for the season. Another 46% of those early shoppers said they were hoping to avoid the stress of last-minute shopping, while 45% said they wanted to avoid crowds.
Despite the high number of consumers planning to get a jump on holiday shopping, a majority of all consumers (62%) said they don’t expect to finish shopping until December.
And spending habits are expected to be up this holiday season, with survey respondents indicating plans to spend $875 on average on gifts, decorations, food and other seasonal items this year. That’s up $42 from last year. The vast majority of planned spending ($620) will be spent on gifts, respondents indicated, while consumers have $255 budgeted for other seasonal items such as decorations, candy or food.
And as consumers are building out their shopping lists for the season, it might be helpful to know this year’s gift trends. Gift cards are the top-requested item of the season, with 55% of respondents indicating that was at the top of their wish list. Clothing and accessories followed at 49%. Books, video games or other media are also a top wish list item this year, at 28%. Rounding out the top five are personal care or beauty items at 25% and experiential gifts at 23%.
Not surprisingly, home improvement items are toward the bottom of the list — husbands beware.
Consumers continue to favor online shopping, with 58% of survey respondents saying they will turn to e-commerce this holiday season.
Other popular shopping destinations include department stores (49%), discount stores (48%), grocery stores (44%), clothing stores (32%), small businesses (24%), and electronics stores (20%). Craft, outlet and thrift stores all came in at less than 20% among survey respondents.
The Florida Retail Federation is promoting its “Find it in Florida” program, a grassroots campaign aimed at encouraging consumers to shop local.
The Florida Retail Federation notes that when consumers shop local, they support local businesses and local jobs. Florida retailers account for 1 out of every 5 jobs in the state and they generate $104 billion in annual economic impact, including more than $69 billion in wages each year. Additionally, Florida retailers collect and remit more than $20 billion in sales taxes to support public schools, roads and infrastructure.
More information about the campaign, including ways to share it on social media, can be found online.
The Florida Retail Federation is the statewide trade association representing retailers, who support 3.6 million jobs in the state. Likewise, the National Retail Federation represents retailers nationally, educating consumers on the powerful impact of retail on local and global communities.
