Nov 2, 2009

Study predicts a lean Christmas shopping seasonBy Steve AdamsDailyNewsTribune.com

Many shoppers are expected to gravitate to discounters and downplay gift-giving in favor of get-togethers as they try to keep spending under control this holiday season. Two-thirds of shoppers polled in a recent survey by BIGresearch on behalf of the National Retail Federation say the nation’s economic doldrums will throw a damper on their holiday spending plans.

Shoppers said they will use a variety of strategies to shave spending, such as hunting for sales, using more coupons and frequenting thrift shops.

“They’re not ready to declare an end to the recession,” NRF spokeswoman Ellen Davis said.

The Washington-based trade group predicts shoppers will spend an average of $682 on gifts this holiday season, down 3.2 percent from last year and the lowest level since 2003.

BIGresearch surveyed 8,431 consumers on behalf of the retail association in early October and found that job worries are crimping consumer spending. One in six consumers knew someone who recently lost a job.

The concerns ring true for Arleen Willis of Braintree, Mass., whose son was laid off this year before finding a new job requiring a commute to Rhode Island. Willis said she expects to do much of her shopping at discounters such as the T.J. Maxx and Marshalls chains.

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