The race to get gifts for friends and family is on and time is running out, yet nearly 15 percent of holiday shoppers plan to purchase their gifts during these final days before Christmas. Over 60 percent shopped on Super Saturday, December 21.
According to the National Retail Federation, top gift purchases so far included clothing (49 percent), toys (31 percent), gift cards (28 percent), books and other media (27 percent) and electronics (24 percent). A quarter of shoppers (25 percent) plan to give “gifts of experience,” like tickets to a concert or sporting event. Gifts of experience are most popular among younger shoppers, given by 36 percent of those 18-34.
Shopping does not end with Christmas. An annual survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics found that 68 percent of holiday consumers will likely shop the week after Christmas (December 26 through January 1). They plan to take advantage of post-holiday sales and promotions (49 percent) and use gift cards (27 percent). Younger consumers ages 18-24 are the most likely (84 percent) to shop the week after Christmas.
More than half of shoppers (55 percent) say they will return or exchange any unwanted gifts or holiday items within the first month after receiving them. The vast majority (80 percent) prefer to make returns and exchanges in stores, and 74 percent say they are likely to purchase something else while returning or exchanging an unwanted gift.