What you need to know
US retail sales in November and December of this year are predicted to reach $692 billion, up $10 billion, or 1.3% over 2015. Macroeconomic factors at the time of writing paint a positive picture for the coming months, as does the fact that 41% of shoppers say they intend to spend more this year. However, the results of the US presidential election could impact consumer confidence and result in a pullback of spending. Nearly half of shoppers would like to get the majority of their shopping done prior to Thanksgiving. Online and mobile shopping is expected to reach record highs putting more pressure on bricks and mortar retailers to drive in-store traffic.
Definition
This Report builds on the analysis presented in Mintel’s Winter Holiday Shopping – US, August 2015, 2014 and Holiday Shopping – US, July 2013, 2012, 2011, and June 2010.
This Report focuses on Winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa) as these represent the bulk of total holiday expenditures.
For the purposes of this Report, “holiday shopping” refers to expected consumer expenditures on holiday-specific items such as gifts, decorations, seasonal candy and other food, greeting cards, and other expenditures.
