According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) final consumer holiday spending survey of the season, Americans are sprinting down the home stretch of the 2015 holiday gift-giving season. Oh, and then there’s the after gift-giving season sales. Here are some highlights of the NRF’s survey, completed on 12/9/2015.


Shoppers were still in full gear going into the last full shopping week before Christmas

53.5% | (The percentage of) Shopping completed by 12/9/2015
90% | Holiday shoppers who still have gifts, food, décor and/or other holiday items to buy

Reasons given for waiting until now to shop for gifts

44.8% | Still weighing their choices between gifts.
28.8% | Friends and family haven’t given them enough ideas
22% | Waiting on best deals
20.8% | Admit they are “just a procrastinator.”

The day shoppers say they will purchase their last gift

33.4% | Sometime before December 18
10.2% | December 23

Giving (and receiving) an “experience gift”

For the first time, NRF asked holiday shoppers about their intentions to buy and preference to receive a gift of experience such as tickets to a sporting event or an adventure outing like whitewater rafting.

22.2% | (Percentage of) People planning to give an experience-type gift
36.5% | People who want to receive an experience-type gift

36.1% | People 18-24 planning to give experience-type gift
55% | People 18-24 who want to receive an experience-type gift

35.4% | People 25-34 planning to give experience-type gift
49.6% | People 25-34 who want to receive an experience-type gift

Plans for using gift cards

The NRF asked consumers this year about their shopping intentions should they receive a gift card.

41.9% | People who plan to wait for sales and promotions to use gift cards
19.7% | People who plan to use their gift card as quickly as they can 19.1% | People who will save their gift card for a rainy day or personal treat

The Classics

50.8% | People who have already purchased a gift of clothes or accessories
34.5% | People who have already purchased a toy for a gift
33.5% | People who have bought gift cards
22.8? | People who have already purchased electronic item gifts

After Christmas shopping plans

65.9% | People who plan to shop after-Christmas sales
47.2% | People who plan to shop after-Christmas sales (physical stores)
43.1% | People who plan to shop after-Christmas sales (online stores)

Shopping via mobile devices

This year, the NRF also sought to find out the role in holiday shopping of smartphones and tablet.

35.4% | Owners of a smartphone who will use it to research products and compare prices
26.4% | Owners of a smartphone will use it to purchase a holiday item

38.2% | Owners of a tablet who will use it to research products and compare prices
19.8% | Owners of a tablet will use it to purchase a holiday item


Photo: Thinkstock

Related Articles