Posted on: Sunday, December 10, 2006
56 percent say they prepare a budget for holiday shopping
Compiled by John MacIntyre
Percentage of American adults who say they will be working within a holiday shopping budget, according to a Pew Social Trends survey: 56
PARTYING AT WORK
Percentage of U.S. small businesses that are planning a holiday party for their business, store or office in 2006, according to Constant Contact's "2nd Annual 2006 Small Business Holiday Outlook" survey: 47
Percentage of small business owners who anticipate a strong holiday season in sales: 62
CARTOON HISTORY
Year in which the cartoon "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" first aired on TV: 1964
Year in which "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first aired: 1965
Year in which "Frosty the Snowman" first aired: 1969
GETTING IN THE MOOD
Percentage of movie fans who watch holiday films to ring in the Christmas season and help them get in the holiday mood, according to a holiday movie survey by Blockbuster: 89
Percentage of movie fans who watch a particular movie as a part of their holiday tradition: 70
Rank of "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), "A Christmas Story" (1983), "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947), "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (1989), and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1964) as the all-time holiday favorites: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
MILLIONS OF TREES CUT
Number of real Christmas trees purchased in 2005, according to the latest data from the National Christmas Tree Association: 32.8 million
Average mean price of a real tree: $41.90
Percentage of people who cut their own tree: 12
COINS ARE JINGLING
Percentage jump in sales at jewelry stores from November to December 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 174
Percentage jump in bookstore sales between November and December 2005: 96
Percentage jump in sporting- goods store sales from November to December 2005: 67
Percentage jump in clothing store sales from November to December 2005: 49
WORKPLACE SHOPPERS
Percentage of U.S. workers who say they use their work computer to shop for or buy gifts online during the holidays, according to a survey conducted by Spherion: 26
Percentage of U.S. workers who say they feel it would be acceptable to do so: 30
Percentage of U.S. workers shopping from their work computer who spend an average of 15 minutes or more each time they do so: 66
Percentage of U.S. employers who do not block their employees' access to online retail Web sites: 70
GIFT-SHOPPING DILEMMAS
Percentage of women for whom the December religious holidays are among their favorite gift-giving occasions, according to a survey by VoiceQuilt: 60
Percentage who say "personal and sentimental" are the most important attributes of a gift: 92
Percentage of respondents who said Dad was the hardest person to shop for: 24
Percentage who said children are the easiest: 47
ELECTRONIC GIFTS RULE
Percentage of people who chose home electronics, such as a new TV, digital camera or PC, as their top choice for a holiday gift for the whole family, according to a survey commissioned by Circuit City Stores Inc.: 51
Percentage of respondents who chose a family trip: 29
Percentage of consumers who chose a new car: 4
IDLE THOUGHT
"In the small matters, trust the mind; in the large ones, the heart."
— Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis
