# Holiday Spending Statistics This Infographic Breaks Down How Much We'll be Buying this Christmas By Michael Hemsworth | Published 2012-12-04 | Special Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holiday-spending-statistics References: [visual.ly](http://visual.ly/how-much-do-americans-spend-over-christmas) Christmas can be the most expensive holiday on any family's budget and these 2012 [holiday spending statistics](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dollar-general-24-days-of-savings) predict just how much Americans will be spending at the mall. Up about 10 dollars from last Christmas, the average holiday budget is $749.51 per family with early shoppers spending about 14% more than last minute gift givers. Of that holiday budget, $548.56 is going to gifts, $100.76 on [food](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/meijer1), $51.99 on [decorations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/merry-sparkles-outdoor-decor), $26.66 on greeting cards and $19.55 on flowers. That lump sum of cash is coming from several different areas of life with 38% of people using all or some of their personal savings to cover the cost while 17% will need to borrow to afford it all. So, what's the most requested gift this holiday season? 59.8% of people say gift cards. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.0/10 - Popularity: 68% | Activity: 75% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Special](https://www.trendhunter.com/special) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Increased Holiday Spending:** There is a trend of Americans increasing their holiday spending, with budgets averaging at $749.51 per family in 2012. - **Rise in Early Shopping:** Early shoppers are spending approximately 14% more than last minute gift givers, indicating a trend of starting holiday shopping earlier. - **Preference for Gift Cards:** Gift cards are the most requested gift during the holiday season, with 59.8% of people preferring them. ### Where This Applies - **Retail:** The retail industry can capitalize on the trend of increased holiday spending by offering attractive deals and promotions to encourage consumer spending. - **E-commerce:** The rise in early shopping presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for e-commerce platforms to provide convenient online shopping experiences and speedy deliveries. - **Greeting Card and Gift Card Industry:** The preference for gift cards indicates an opportunity for the greeting card and gift card industry to collaborate, offering combined products that cater to both personalization and convenience. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Accessible Seasonal Celebration Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/target-holiday-products.md) - [Holiday Planning Toolkits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ultimate-holiday-planner.md) - [Holiday Gift Card Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gift-card-promotions.md) - [Christmas Shopping Centers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holiday-gift-centre.md) - [Low-Cost Grocer Holiday Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christmas-dinner-deal.md) - [Low-Cost Holiday Retailer Guides](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holiday-toy-guide.md) - [AI-Powered Holiday Spending Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holiday-spending.md) - [Discount Grocer Christmas Dinners](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aldi-christmas-dinner.md) - [Budget-Friendly Grocer Holiday Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lidl-us-holiday-meal-deal.md)