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When
Does Holiday Shopping Really Begin?
Auburn, Nov. 30---Shopping
for the holidays is an all-year affair for a select few, but many
wait until the last possible month to begin.
According to a Lifestyle
Magazine report, 6 percent of respondents shop for Christmas gifts
throughout the year, 19 percent shop between January and September,
20 percent shop during October, 24 percent shop in November, and 27
percent shop in December.
Which shoppers wait
until the last minute? Not surprisingly, 39 percent are between ages
16 and 24, and 60 percent are under 34 years of age. The majority of
procrastinating shoppers are single and work outside the home.
Women tend to shop
earlier and longer for Christmas gifts. When shopping for apparel in
a particular store, women usually spend 40 minutes more than men.
Christmas-gift shopping
is not the only source of retailers' year-end sales boost. Almost
half (46 percent) of consumers admit to buying items for themselves
either regularly or sometimes when shopping for others, and another
32 percent say they do so infrequently. Surprisingly, men are more
likely than women to indulge themselves, as are consumers aged 25 to
34 or 56 to 70.
SOURCE: Dr. Carol
Centrallo, Extension Apparel and Textile Management Specialist,
Alabama Cooperative Extension System (343) 844-1325
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