Americans get ready to spend nearly $1,500 over the holidays

Christmas online shopping. Woman has coffee, buy presents on laptop, prepare to xmas, among gift boxes and packages. Winter sales
Photo credit Getty Images

With Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa just around the corner, American consumers are expected to spend an average of $1,455 through the coming weeks, according to a Deloitte survey.

Due to inflation and the Federal Reserve Bank’s attempts to bring it down with interest rate hikes, 73% of consumers expect to pay higher prices this year than in 2021. Since the nearly $1,500 spending figure is similar to last year, shoppers are looking for ways to save.

Indeed, 37% of consumers surveyed by Deloitte reported that their financial outlook this year is worse than it was in 2021. Yet, 74% said they expected to spend the same or more this holiday season. Low-income consumers estimated they would spend 25% more and high-income shoppers said they expected to cut back by 7%.

Overall, shoppers plan to purchase an average of nine gifts and 12% plan to cut back spending on non-gift items. When it comes to gifts, the “gift cards and other” category is set to increase by 7% this year. Additionally, 40% of shoppers are looking for sustainable gifts and 32% plan to buy resale items.

Online shopping is expected to take up the bulk (63%) of spending, but in-store on the rebound from 28% to 35%.

According to the National Retail Federation, holiday retail sales during November and December were projected to grow between 6% and 8% over 2021 to between $942.6 billion and $960.4 billion.

“Last year’s holiday sales grew 13.5% over 2020 and totaled $889.3 billion, shattering previous records,” said the federation.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Getty Images