Holiday shopping
U.S. households likely will spend about $466 on average on holiday gifts this year, down about $10 from last year's estimate, the Conference Board, a nonprofit group, reported today. The high rollers, spending an average of $568, are in New England, and North Carolina falls into the second tier - households planning to spend an average of $484.
About 32 percent of households plan to spend $500 or more on holiday gifts, and 30 percent plan to spend less than $200.
Perhaps most interesting is the continuing upward trend in online shopping. The Conference Board reports that 34 percent of all consumers will buy holiday gifts online, with 45 percent of those planning to buy books. Clothing, shoes, toys, games, DVDs and CDs also are at the top of the list for online shoppers this year.