SECOND OPINION: On the Other Hand, Maybe Holiday Sales Will Be Brisk

In contrast to a recent MasterCard survey that found consumers planning to be relatively miserly this Christmas, the Retail Holiday Outlook by accounting firm Deloitte & Touche finds 62% of retailers expecting a rise in their sales this season versus ’92. Which sorts of retailers will benefit most? A majority of the consumers surveyed (57%) identified discount outlets as their ‘store of choice’ for holiday shopping this year.
And on the interactive front, 4% of consumers said they plan to do some of that shopping through TV home-shopping channels. Meanwhile, the chart suggests that people anticipating a toy as their big present this year are more apt to be in luck than those looking for a fur coat under the tree.
UNDER THE TREE
What’s the most expensive present you plan to give this holiday season?
Toys 18.8%
Electronics 15.4%
Jewelry 13.0%
Home Furnishings 7.4%
Sporting Goods 6.4%
Appliances 4.8%
Computer 2.5%
Vacation 2.3%
Car/Boat 1.2%
Fur Coat 0.5%
Other 8.1%
Don’t Know 19.6%
Table shows survey results.
Copyright Adweek L.P. (1993)