Holiday shopping: What, where, and when?

The holidays are known for bringing friends and families together. This year, our survey respondents are taking this to heart with plans to spend more on experiences and celebrations than in the past. In fact, approximately one-quarter of survey respondents say they prefer to buy gifts that can’t be wrapped up in a bow:

27 percent of respondents said they prefer to buy gifts that are an experience and 24 percent indicated they plan to host or attend more holiday events with friends and/or family than participate in a traditional gift exchange.

That’s not to say that physical gifts are totally out of style as one-third of holiday budgets will go toward physical gifts. The dog walker, piano teacher, or the trusted mail carrier will still appreciate a token gift. Gift spending remains flat at $430 and an average of 14.7 gifts this year.

Gifts can certainly add up. The average consumer is expected to spend an average of $1,226 during the holiday shopping season. That number nearly doubles to an average of $2,226 among households earning $100,000 or more.



Disposable income appears to be healthy with roughly 8 in 10 (81 percent) of respondents reporting that their household financial situation is the same or better than last year. This number is up from 63 percent five years ago.