Monica Reed

1/2 of us have started gift shopping early & may spend less this year

Photo: shutterstock

1/2 of us have started gift shopping early & may spend less this year

There’s been a lot of talk about supply chain issues, slower shipping, and higher prices heading into the holiday season…this should be enough to get through to last-minute shoppers!  Get on it!

A new survey says 37% of people have started shopping early due to news reports. And 15% started buying gifts over the summer. I do that every year, I’ll find good stuff on throughout the year and throw it in my cart.  I have a special section in my closet for early Christmas gifts!

Overall, more than half of people began holiday shopping before Halloween.

29% say they plan to spend LESS this year than last year, while 53% expect to spend the same, and 18% will spend MORE. For the record, last year was reportedly a record low for holiday spending due to the pandemic.

If you’re wondering what most people spend, in this survey 51% plan to spend less than $500 over the holidays this year. 32% expect to spend between $500 and $1,000 . . . and 18% will drop more than that.

And most people plan to shop online. 68% of people say the majority of their shopping will be done online, while 32% say they plan to spend more time in stores.

 

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