1. 2010 HOLIDAY SPENDING
SURVEY
WHAT AMERICANS ARE BUYING
HOW MUCH THEY‟RE SPENDING, ON WHAT AND
WHERE
WHAT CELEBS HAVE BEEN „NAUGHTY‟ AND „NICE‟
November 24, 2010
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© PENN SCHOEN AND BERLAND ASSOCIATES LLC.
2. © PENN SCHOEN AND BERLAND ASSOCIATES LLC. 1
Introduction
As the holiday spending season begins, and Americans continue to reckon with a slower-than-
expected recovery, new research released today reveals that consumers are largely planning
to hold the line on spending relative to 2009. 52% say that they will spend the same or more
than they did last year. Though Americans see the economy today as better than it was, and
are less concerned about losing their jobs, they are more concerned about the prospects for
future economic growth than they were last year, and their budgets continue to be guided by
caution about the current climate.
In turn, consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet for their holiday shopping needs;
37% plan to shop online more this year, a gain of 7% over last year. And for the under-40
segments, the rise of social shopping continues as a key trend; 24% of social media users
(representing 72% of total respondents) say they will make a purchase decision this holiday
based on a recommendation they receive from friends or family through a social media network
– including 34% of 30-39 year olds and 30% of 18-29 year olds.
With Americans looking for ways to get into the holiday spirit, respondents were asked to
choose from a list of public figures to determine who‟s been naughty and who‟s been nice in
2010. Sandra Bullock and Taylor Swift continue to be seen as particularly deserving of holiday
generosity this year, while Americans think that Tiger Woods and Mel Gibson should be in for
some healthy servings of coal.
Penn Schoen Berland conducted 1,006 Internet interviews of American consumers from
November 16-17, 2010. The margin of error is ±2.53% and larger for subgroups.
State of Personal Finances and Effect on Gift-Giving
Overall, consumers are feeling slightly better about the current state of the nation‟s economy;
5% fewer describe it as “poor” than did so in 2009. And going forward, many are optimistic that
the economy will improve; while just 16% think that the economy is in “excellent” or “good”
shape today, 35% think it will be in one year‟s time.
How would you describe current state of
the nation’s economy? 2010 2009 Change Male Fem
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
Excellent
2 2 0 2 1 1 1 2
Good
14 11 +3 15 12 13 10 18
Not so good
58 55 +3 55 61 57 61 57
Poor
27 32 -5 28 26 29 28 23
A year from now, what state do you think
the nation’s economy will be in?
2010 2009 Change Male Fem
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
Excellent
3 4 -1 4 2 2 3 5
Good
32 38 -6 31 34 32 30 34
3. © PENN SCHOEN AND BERLAND ASSOCIATES LLC. 2
Not so good
49 41 +8 45 53 48 51 49
Poor
16 17 -1 20 11 18 16 12
Americans are also feeling more positive about the state of their personal finances –
particularly those with annual household incomes over $70,000. 43% say that their personal
finances are “excellent” or “good,” an increase of 6% over 2009; 56% of wealthier respondents
say the same. Consumers are also feeling increased job security, as 6% fewer report that they
are “very concerned” about losing their job in the next year.
How would you describe the state of your
own personal finances? 2010 2009 Change Male Fem
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
Excellent
3 5 -2 3 2 2 1 6
Good
40 32 +8 39 40 29 43 50
Not so good
42 41 1 40 43 47 40 35
Poor
16 22 -6 18 14 23 16 9
How concerned are you that you
will lose your job in the next year? 2010 2009 Change Male Fem
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
Very concerned
15 21 -6 15 15 19 13 12
Somewhat concerned
27 24 +3 29 25 27 29 25
Not very concerned
29 24 +5 27 30 23 31 34
Not at all concerned
30 31 -1 28 31 31 27 28
Consumers feeling slightly more optimistic about the national economy and their personal
financial situations, but how will that impact their holiday spending? Most consumers are
planning to maintain their prior levels of spending this season – 52% say they will spend the
same as they did last year. However, 29% are planning to cut back, including 33% of male
respondents.
Indeed, the current economic situation continues to exert a strong influence on holiday
spending, with 33% saying that their budget will be affected “significantly” compared to past
holiday seasons before the recession. This trend remains largely unchanged from 2009.
Compared to last year, do you plan to spend
more/less/the same during the upcoming
holiday season?
All Male Fem
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
More 19 19 30 17 19 19
4. © PENN SCHOEN AND BERLAND ASSOCIATES LLC. 3
The same 52 48 45 54 53 52
Less 29 33 25 29 27 29
How much do you think the current
economic situation is going to affect your
budget this holiday season compared to
past holiday seasons before the
recession?
2010 2009 Change Male Fem
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
Significantly
33 36 -3 32 35 44 30 24
Moderately
31 30 +1 30 32 29 32 34
Slightly
19 20 -1 18 21 27 22 20
Not at all
17 14 +3 21 13 10 17 22
Consumers who plan to spend less this holiday are largely doing so because they are trying to
get out of debt (51%) or because they are not sure that the worst of the recession is behind us
(48%).
[Among those spending less] Why do you
anticipate spending less this holiday season?
Please select all that apply.
All Male Fem
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
I am trying to get out of debt 51 54 48 47 54 51
I am not sure that the worst of the recession is
behind us
48 58 39 44 50 53
We instituted a cap on gift costs this year 25 23 28 17 29 37
I lost my job 18 18 18 25 16 9
I am fearful of losing my job 11 14 9 8 14 14
Unlike last year, I am not planning to travel
this year
10 8 11 7 11 14
I am fearful of my family members losing their
jobs
9 9 9 5 11 13
I am anxious about my investments 7 9 5 4 4 12
Other 16 11 21 13 16 17
Online Shopping Gains, Though Retailers Keeps Pace on
Deals
5. © PENN SCHOEN AND BERLAND ASSOCIATES LLC. 4
37% of consumers say that they will be shopping online more this year – a 7% increase over
last year. And the strength of online shopping is not based entirely on price advantages, as
51% continue to say that they will find better deals in a store rather than online. (Online
retailers can take heart in the fact that 59% of respondents aged 30-39 say that they‟ll find
better deals on the Internet). Nevertheless, 62% of consumers plan to shop at retail stores
about the same amount they did last year.
Compared to last year, do
you plan to do each of
the following more, less,
or the same amount?
(Ranked by % saying
“more”)
MORE LESS ABOUT THE SAME
2010 2009 Change 2010 2009 Change 2010 2009 Change
Buy discounted items 51 53 -2 7 7 0 43 40 +3
Use coupons 47 50 -3 12 9 +3 41 40 +1
Shop online 37 30 +7 20 22 -2 43 48 -5
Use cash to buy gifts 33 37 -4 15 15 0 52 48 +4
Shop at outlets or discount
stores (e.g. Ross, TJ Maxx,
Loehmann‟s, etc)
24 28 -4 25 24 +1 51 47 +4
Shop at retail stores 16 19 -3 22 23 -1 62 59 +3
Take advantage of special
programs such as layaway
or 0% interest
15 22 -7 38 28 +10 47 50 -3
Use credit cards to buy
gifts
13 14 -1 45 48 -3 42 38 +4
Thinking about this
holiday season, do
you think you will
find the best deals…
2010 2009 Change
18- 29 30- 39 40- 49 50- 65
Male Female
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
In a store, not online 51 51 0 51 41 49 58 45 56 51 52 46
Online 49 49 0 49 59 51 42 55 44 49 48 54
Some brick-and-mortar retailers are showing some growth, as well. 7% more consumers plan
to shop at Target this year than did so last year.
Furthermore, the online retail market may be diversifying – despite the increase in consumer
intent to shop online this year, many fewer consumers are planning to shop at Amazon.com.
However, current Amazon.com shoppers are increasing in intensity – 34% of respondents who
shopped there last year plan to do so more this year.
Do you plan to shop at any of the
following stores this holiday season?
Please select all that apply.
2010 2009 Change Male Female
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
Wal-Mart 55 63 -8 49 60 60 57 45
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Target 42 35 +7 34 51 37 44 47
Amazon.com 36 47 -11 35 36 32 38 40
Best Buy 27 28 -1 30 25 22 27 35
Kohl’s 26 23 +3 22 31 15 33 33
Compared to last year, do
you plan to do each of
the following more, less,
or the same amount?
(Ranked by % saying
“more”)
MORE LESS ABOUT THE SAME
2010 2009 Change 2010 2009 Change 2010 2009 Change
Amazon.com 34 31 3 21 19 2 55 50 5
Wal-Mart 25 29 -4 19 18 1 57 53 4
Target 18 18 0 25 28 -3 58 54 4
Dollar Store 18 27 -9 24 20 4 56 53 3
Kohl's 15 13 2 30 31 -1 46 56 -10
The Rise of Social Shopping
Perhaps the most important trend affecting this holiday shopping season is the rise of social
shopping, particularly in the under-40 demographics. 72% of consumers have created an
account on social media, including 79% of 30-39 year olds. And a quarter of all respondents
are following brands on social media, including 38% of 30-39 year olds and 31% of 18-29 year
olds.
Social media networks are increasingly integrated into consumers‟ shopping behaviors, as
well. This holiday, 24% of social media users say they will make a purchase decision based on
a recommendation they receive from friends or family through a social media network –
including 34% of 30-39 year olds and 30% of 18-29 year olds.
Have you ever created an
account on a social
media network (such as
Facebook, MySpace,
LinkedIn, Twitter)?
All Male Fem
18- 29 30- 39 40- 49 50- 65 Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
Yes 72 68 76 80 79 73 58 74 70 73
No 25 28 23 14 19 25 41 23 29 25
Don‟t know 3 4 2 6 1 2 1 4 1 2
Do you follow any brands
on social media
All Male Fem 18- 29 30- 39 40- 49 50- 65
Income Income Income
7. © PENN SCHOEN AND BERLAND ASSOCIATES LLC. 6
networks? <40K 40-70K 70K+
Yes 26 25 26 31 38 23 14 25 25 28
No 69 70 69 60 60 73 83 68 72 68
Don‟t know 5 5 5 9 3 4 3 6 3 4
[Among social media
account holders]
Thinking specifically
about this holiday
season, do you think you
will make purchase
decisions based on
recommendations you
receive from friends and
family on a social media
network?
All Male Fem 18- 29 30- 39 40- 49 50- 65
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
Yes 24 23 25 30 34 18 14 25 23 26
No 52 58 47 46 46 56 63 54 56 49
Don‟t know 23 19 28 24 20 27 23 21 22 25
What Americans are Planning to Buy
Gift certificates, clothing and toys remain the three most popular gift categories, though
spending for all has slipped slightly from last year.
Gift Planning 2010 2009 Change
Planned
Spend
Gift certificates/ Gift cards 50 49 +1 71.7
Clothing and accessories 47 50 -3 75.1
Toys 40 46 -6 53.9
Video games 33 32 +1 29.9
DVDs/Blu-ray Discs 31 34 -3 22
Books 28 30 -2 16.4
Cash 28 30 -2 54.7
Jewelry 23 24 -1 35.3
Music 22 24 -2 14.6
Consumer electronics (e.g. TV, iPod, etc) 21 20 +1 52.6
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Health and beauty products 19 24 -5 16.6
Computer or computer products 15 16 -1 32.7
Items for the home or garden 15 13 +2 16.3
Wine/Liquor 14 17 -3 14.6
Tools 11 14 -3 13
Sports and outdoor equipment 11 11 0 12.9
Flowers/Gift baskets 9 13 -4 9.56
Movie theater tickets/memberships 9 12 -3 7.21
Charitable donations 7 8 -1 15.7
Magazine subscriptions 5 6 -1 3.11
Consumers are nevertheless still happy to get what they give, as cash, gift certificates and
clothing/accessories top the list of gifts respondents would most like to receive. Consumers are
also increasingly interested in receiving electronics as gifts – 17% say electronics are on their
wish list this year, 5% more than last year.
What do you want for Christmas
this year? Top 5 shown.
2010 2009 Male Fem
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
Cash 57 60 -3 60 54 64 54
Gift certificates/ Gift cards 30 29 +1 24 36 32 30
Clothing and accessories 26 26 0 18 35 26 25
Books 18 19 -1 12 18 17 18
Consumer electronics (e.g. TV, iPod, etc) 17 12 +5 14 15 15 20
Apple continues to be a buzz brand in the computer space this year – 40% of consumers who
intend to purchase a new computer say they are considering Apple, a 12% increase over last
year. And 12% of respondents who are planning to buy consumer electronics this year say that
a tablet device such as an iPad or Blackberry Playbook is on their list, a strong showing for a
category that didn‟t really exist in 2009.
[Among computer intenders] What
brands are you considering? Top
5 shown.
2010 2009 Change Male Fem
Income
<40K
Income
40-70K
Income
70K+
Dell 53 57 -4 51 56 39 67 51
Apple 40 24 +16 27 61 45 24 51
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Hewlett-Packard 30 54 -24 20 46 36 25 34
Toshiba 30 18 12 16 51 49 10 40
Sony 29 27 +2 28 30 41 22 30
Americans Know Who’s Bad or Good
Sandra Bullock and Taylor Swift remain America‟s Sweethearts, topping the “nice” list for the
second consecutive year. On the naughty side of things, Tiger Woods and Mel Gibson ride
their turbulent 2010s into placements near the top of the list of celebrities respondents think
deserve a lump of coal.
Want more?
PSB‟s Holiday Spending Survey contains detailed information about Americans‟ gift giving
plans for the 2010 season. More detailed information is available for the following categories
Clothing & Accessories
Computers
Consumer Electronics
Gift Certificates
Health & Beauty
Movies
Music
Toys
Please contact Dave Hughes at dhughes@ps-b.com or (646) 981-1486 to learn more.
NAUGHTY LIST “Top” 10
All Male Fem
Tiger Woods 67 60 73
Lindsay Lohan 51 45 56
Mel Gibson 48 45 50
Kanye West 45 41 49
Real Housewives of
New York City
39 35 42
Real Housewives of
New Jersey
38 34 42
Real Housewives of
Orange County
38 35 41
Brett Favre 37 42 31
Real Housewives of
Atlanta
34 31 38
Britney Spears 33 32 35
NICE LIST Top 10
All Male Fem
Sandra Bullock 55 47 62
Taylor Swift 40 35 45
Angelina Jolie 30 31 30
Beyonce 27 23 30
Conan O'Brien 21 25 17
Katy Perry 18 15 21
Bret Michaels 17 16 19
Jay Leno 17 20 15
Jon Stewart 16 21 12
Leann Rimes 16 17 15
