U.S. consumers spend record amounts during holiday season, with apparel and gift cards most popular

It is learned that according to foreign media reports, according to the latest survey of the National Retail Federation (NRF), American consumers spent an average of $902 during this holiday season, setting a new record. Among them, $641 was used to buy gifts, and the rest was used to buy decorations, food and other seasonal goods.

It is understood that the NRF survey asked 8,135 adult consumers about their holiday shopping purchases. The data shows that clothing is still the most popular choice, and 54% of shoppers plan to give clothing as gifts. Gift cards ranked second, accounting for 44%, becoming another popular choice. The demand for toys during the holiday season remains strong, with 36% of shoppers planning to buy toys, among which classic toys such as Lego and Barbie dolls are the most popular. Other popular gift categories include books, video games and other media (31%), and food and candy (30%).

When it comes to finding gift inspiration, the internet remains the top choice, with 44% of shoppers searching online for inspiration. Friends and family rank second at 36%, followed by in-store browsing (30%) and wish lists (26%). The influence of social media is also becoming more prominent in holiday gift giving, especially among younger shoppers who are more inclined to look for gift inspiration through social platforms. NRF pointed out that shoppers aged 18 to 24 are more likely to look for gifts on platforms such as TikTok (28%) and Instagram (27%). These shoppers are also more likely to buy jewelry than other age groups, and 30% plan to give jewelry as gifts.

For adults who bought toys for their children this year, the top toys for boys included Legos, Hot Wheels, cars, video games and PlayStation, while girls gravitated toward Barbie, dolls, Legos, cosmetics/beauty products and Disney products. TV shows and movies continue to influence toy sales, with characters such as Spiderman and Barbie remaining popular among children, and Disney products re-entering the top five favorite toys for girls.

In terms of payment methods, debit cards and credit cards remain the main payment tools, with 44% and 39% of shoppers choosing to use these two payment methods respectively. It is worth noting that the use of digital wallets is also continuing to grow, with 57% of shoppers planning to use platforms such as PayPal (30%), ApplePay (15%) and CashApp (14%) during holiday shopping.

Author ✎ Rayna/

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