Christmas 2006 Gift Spending Expected to Rise 9.1 Percent Over Last Year.New survey of gift givers points to positive mood in gift shoppers reports Unity Marketing STEVENS, Pa. -- Christmas 2006 will turn out to be a particularly strong holiday season for the nation's retailers. Based upon Unity Marketing's latest survey of over 700 gift givers (average age 43 years and household income $61,700), gifters are expected to spend a total of $949 on Christmas gifts this year, up 9.1 percent from the average of $870 spent last year. "Throughout the 2006 year, consumers have been generous with their gift spending. We don't expect that to change during the fourth quarter, especially now that gasoline gasoline or petrol, light, volatile mixture of hydrocarbons for use in the internal-combustion engine and as an organic solvent, obtained primarily by fractional distillation and "cracking" of petroleum, but also obtained from natural gas, by prices have dropped and the stock market is going strong," explains Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of the new book Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience. More Specialty Store 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" Shopping as Fewer Shoppers Turn to Discounters Indications are people will turn to more specialty stores for their gift shopping this year, rather than to the discount 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. that have dominated shopping in the recent past. Danziger explains, "With consumers feeling more flush this season, the pull of cheap prices offered by the discounters will be less compelling. Shoppers are likely to turn to stores where they will enjoy a more shopper-friendly environment." "Discounters will still get plenty of action this year, but significantly fewer shoppers plan on shopping at discount destinations this year than did last year. Some 69 percent of gifters surveyed say they plan on shopping at discounters this year, down from 78 percent who planned to shop discount in 2005. "The 2006 sales year may mark the turning point in Wal-Mart's stranglehold stran·gle·hold n. 1. Sports An illegal wrestling hold used to choke an opponent. 2. A force, influence, or action that restricts or suppresses freedom or progress. Also called throttlehold. on retailing in America. Their competitive edge is slipping as shoppers decide they want more from the time they spend shopping than just cheap prices. They want an engaging and entertaining shopping experience that Wal-Mart simply doesn't provide," Danziger says. Popular Gift Choices This Year Based upon the gift choices people are expected to make this holiday season, these are the categories that will see positive growth: * Gift certificates will be especially strong: This season more shoppers will opt for retailers' gift cards as their primary gift. Book and record stores, traditional department stores and clothing and fashion stores are likely to find strong consumer interest in gift certificates, as will discount department stores. * Gifts of experience will be in demand: The percentage of gifters who expect to give a gift of experience, such as a dining, entertainment or beauty/spa experience, has risen significantly this year. Nearly one-fourth of gifters (26 percent) say they will present a gift of experience, up from only 19 percent who said the same last year. * Giftables and other 'little luxuries' will be popular: Another popular gift category and one that is growing in terms of anticipated purchases are giftables and other 'little luxuries.' Gifts that indulge in·dulge v. in·dulged, in·dulg·ing, in·dulg·es v.tr. 1. To yield to the desires and whims of, especially to an excessive degree; humor. 2. a. the recipient in a sensual sen·su·al adj. 1. Relating to or affecting any of the senses or a sense organ; sensory. 2. Of, relating to, given to, or providing gratification of the physical and especially the sexual appetites. way will be a hit, like flowers and candles, consumables or 'foodie' gifts and personal care items, bath and body gifts, luxury soaps and other good smelling and tasting stuff will fly off the shelves. About Gift Tracker Survey Unity Marketing, on the forefront of market research on the gifting market, conducts a quarterly gift tracking study to measure the pulse of the gift consumer in a longitudinal lon·gi·tu·di·nal adj. Running in the direction of the long axis of the body or any of its parts. survey of 600-800 gift buying consumers. The next Gift Tracker survey will be fielded early January 2007 to track 4Q2006 gift purchases. For more information on Gift Tracker, click this link http://www.unitymarketingonline.com/reports2/gifting/gifttracker.html For media: Charts, tables and graphs are available upon request. Pam Danziger is available to discuss specific holiday gift choices and trends in shopping for this holiday season. About Pam Danziger and Unity Marketing Pamela N. Danziger is a nationally recognized expert specializing in consumer insights for luxury marketers, whether they sell luxury to the masses or the 'classes.' She is president of Unity Marketing, a marketing consulting firm Noun 1. consulting firm - a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee consulting company business firm, firm, house - the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments; "he worked for a she founded in 1992. Advising such clients as Cartier, PPR PPR peste des petitis ruminants. , RE[umlaut umlaut (  m`lout) [Ger.,=transformed sound], in inflection, variation of vowels of the type of English man to men. ]my Amerique,
Stearns & Foster, Prudential Fine Homes, Baccarat baccarat (bä`kərä', băk`–, Fr. bäkärä`), French card game formerly widely played in European casinos but now supplanted in popularity by chemin de fer. , The World Gold
Council, The Conference Board and American Express American Express (NYSE: AXP), sometimes known as "AmEx" or "Amex", is a diversified global financial services company, headquartered in New York City. The company is best known for its credit card, charge card and traveler's cheque businesses. , Danziger taps
consumer psychology to help clients navigate (1) "Surfing the Web." To move from page to page on the Web.(2) To move through the menu structure in a software application. and master the changing luxury marketplace. Her latest book, Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience, will be in the book stores October 3, 2006. She also is author of Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the MassesCoas well as the Classes, (Dearborn Trade Publishing, $27, hardcover) is in book stores now. She is the author of the recent book, Why People Buy Things They Don't Need: Understanding and Predicting Consumer Behavior (Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2004). |
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