"Practically" Americans hold the line on holiday shopping; MasterCard '95 holiday shopping poll shows sluggish spending levels.PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 27, 1995--In keeping with prevailing consumer retailing trends, America's shoppers will spend less on holiday gifts this season, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the results from the Annual MasterCard Smart Shopper Holiday Poll. The poll of 1,000 consumers nationwide conducted by Bruskin-Goldring revealed that Americans plan to spend $444 on holiday gifts, down $42 from 1994. While nearly half (48%) of America's shoppers said they will spend "about the same" as last year on holiday gifts, which is on par from year ago levels, 30% of consumers said they will spend less, which is up six percentage points from the 1994 poll. Practicality on the Rise This year, the MasterCard Smart Shopper Holiday Poll reveals shoppers are airing on the side of practicality, with 65% of consumers describing their styles and attitudes toward holiday shopping as smart or practical, up from 57% last year. The good news is only 12% of shoppers polled viewed themselves as penny-pinching, although nearly half (49%) of the shoppers say they are more interested in finding those special discounts and store promotions. Not surprising, the majority of consumers (60%) still find a one-stop shopping approach more desirable. Practical or not, more than half (54%) said they want to get their shopping over quickly - within a day or two. Men are more likely to describe themselves as last minute shoppers (53%). By contrast, women are more likely to describe themselves as early bird shoppers (53%). Finding The Right Gift In keeping with the trend towards practicality, this year shoppers are more concerned than ever with buying the "right" gifts, with 68% saying it's their biggest concern. Topping the gift "wish list" for the fourth straight year is clothing (63%). But records/cassettes and CDs inched up to second place (42%), books and a trip or vacation tied for third place (40%). Rounding out this year's wish list are fine jewelry jewelry, personal adornments worn for ornament or utility, to show rank or wealth, or to follow superstitious custom or fashion. The most universal forms of jewelry are the necklace, bracelet, ring, pin, and earring. (34%); home electronics (33%); home furnishing (28%); videos (26%); kitchen items (26%). The Convenience of Credit When it comes to paying for holiday gifts, half (51%) of consumers said they usually use cash, down from 59% from 1994; 22% of those surveyed said they usually use a major credit card -- up from 15% last year; and 21% said they usually pay by check. "More and more consumers are realizing that paying with MasterCard is the most convenient and safest way to pay," said Fred Gore, senior vice president, U.S. Region Acceptance, MasterCard International. "The popularity of rebate card programs and influx of new retailers like warehouse clubs and discount stores accepting cards have made plastic forms of payment an even more attractive option to using cash or checks. This trend is consistent with industry reports that have tracked consumer payment preferences for the past five years," Gore said. MasterCard International Incorporated is a global payments company that provides consumer credit, debit and other payment products in partnership with 22,000 member financial institutions worldwide. MasterCard's family of brands, MasterCard(R), Maestro (1) (Maestro NT) An earlier name for scheduling software for Windows NT from Tivoli Systems, Inc. When IBM acquired Tivoli in 1996, the program was renamed IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler. (R) and Cirrus(R), represent approximately 300 million cards in circulation, and over 13 million acceptance locations, including 243,000 MasterCard/Cirrus ATMs worldwide. MasterCard's pioneering work in the areas of transaction processing Updating the appropriate database records as soon as a transaction (order, payment, etc.) is entered into the computer. It may also imply that confirmations are sent at the same time. Transaction processing systems are the backbone of an organization because they update constantly. and delivery systems continues to revolutionize rev·o·lu·tion·ize tr.v. rev·o·lu·tion·ized, rev·o·lu·tion·iz·ing, rev·o·lu·tion·iz·es 1. To bring about a radical change in: Television has revolutionized news coverage. 2. the way consumers pay for goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. . MasterCard can be reached through "Pointers," its Worldwide Web site, at http://www.mastercard.com. -0- 1995 MasterCard Smart Shopper Holiday Poll Topline Results of 1,000 Consumers Average 1995 Holiday Spending $444 (down $42 from '94) Anticipated 1995 Spending vs. 1994 48% About the Same 30% Less 21% More Usual Form of Payment for Holiday Gifts 51% Cash 22% Major Credit Card 21% Check Where Most Will Purchase Holiday Gifts 50% Malls/Shopping Centers 21% Department Stores This is a list of department stores. In the case of department store groups the location of the flagship store is given. This list does not include large specialist stores, which sometimes resemble department stores. 13% Discount Stores/Outlets 6% Mail Order 4% Specialty Stores Noun 1. specialty store - a store that sells only one kind of merchandise shop, store - a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services; "he bought it at a shop on Cape Cod" Top Ten Gift "Wish List" 1994 vs. 1995 1. Clothing Clothing 2. Trip/Vacation Records/CDs/Cassettes 3. Records/CDs/Cassettes Books & Trip/Vacation (tie) 4. Books Fine Jewelry 5. Home Electronics Home Electronics 6. Fine Jewelry Home Furnishings furnishings the extra type or quantity of hair on the head, tail, ears or legs, specified for a particular breed. For example, the feathers in setters, the beard in Bearded collies, the eyebrows in Schnauzers. 7. Home Furnishings Kitchen Items and Videos (tie) 8. Videos Toys and Games 9. Kitchen Items Fruitcake fruit·cake n. 1. A heavy spiced cake containing nuts and candied or dried fruits. 2. Slang A crazy or an eccentric person: "a fruitcake under the delusion that he was Saint Nicholas" 10. Toys and Games CONTACT: MasterCard International Michael O'Brien Michael or Mike O'Brien may refer to:
or Alan Taylor
Erin Davy, 212/714-1280 |
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