NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT:
Josh Carrasco, Spokesman, AAA - The Auto Club Group,
office: (813) 288-7982, cell: (607) 592-0920,
JCarrasco@AAASouth.com
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NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Josh Carrasco, Spokesman, AAA - The Auto Club Group, |
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AAA: 1 IN 5 HOLIDAY SHOPPERS PLAN TO SPEND MORE ON GIFTS THIS YEAR
Gift cards are the most wanted present this holiday season
TAMPA, Fla. (November 24, 2015) — Floridians are preparing to open their pocketbooks for some of the busiest shopping days of the year. Nine in ten (90%) consumers will purchase gifts this holiday season, according to a recent AAA Consumer Pulse survey. Click here to view the survey results.
Nearly half (45%) of holiday shoppers will start their holiday shopping in November. This month includes popular holiday shopping days, which attract large shares of consumers: Black Friday (46%), Cyber Monday (45%), and Thanksgiving Day (18%).
"This is crunch time for retailers," said Belinda Dabrowski, managing director, AAA Partnership Development, The Auto Club Group. "Merchants will be pulling out all the stops to attract consumers during these critical shopping days, who according to our research, may spend slightly more this year, but are still looking for a good deal. Economic factors like lower gas prices, low unemployment, and an improved housing market, are leaving customers with extra money in their pockets for holiday gifts.”
Holiday sales are expected to increase
Floridians will spend an average of $784 on gifts in 2015. The National Retail Federation expects November and December sales to rise 3.7 percent over last year to about $630.5 billion. Here in Florida, the outlook is even more positive. The Florida Retail Federation expects a 4.5% increase in holiday shopping due to tourism, increased consumer confidence, and an unemployment rate which hit a seven year low in October.
Top five purchased gifts
While apparel remains the most purchased gift for Floridians, gift cards (20%) are the top gift most hope to see under the tree.
Shoppers are becoming more tech savvy
Online shopping is becoming more popular than ever this holiday shopping season. Nearly three in four (73%) Floridians will do at least half of their shopping online, using their computer (73%), smartphone (25%), or tablet (22%).
“Shoppers are increasingly drawn to the convenience of online shopping,” said Dabrowski. “Shopping online allows people to avoid the crowds and shop at their convenience. AAA members can find even deeper discounts and rewards opportunities by going to the AAA Dollars Online Mall at AAA.com.”
Savvy shoppers looking for a bargain this holiday season by using the benefits of their AAA membership. AAA Discounts provide instant discounts at retail locations in North America including Payless ShoeSourcecNew York & Company and Sprint, as well as with popular online retailers through AAA.com like Dell, 1-800 Flowers® and more. AAA members in Florida can also earn AAA Dollars that can pay for their membership when shopping at over 70 online retailers through AAA.com/Dollars like Walmart.com, Best Buy and iTunes. AAA members can also earn 5% of their merchant gift card purchases in AAA Dollars at AAA braches in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. The top selling gift cards are Amazon, Starbucks, and Whole Foods. Visit AAA.com/Save for a complete list of retailers and AAA Discount & Rewardsa offers.
About The AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey
The AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey was conducted online among residents living in Florida from September 30, 2015 – October 20, 2015. A total of 400 residents completed the survey, with 362 planning to purchase gifts during the 2015 holiday season. Survey results have margin of error of ± 5.2 percentage points. Responses are weighted by gender and age to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the adult population (18+) in Florida.
About The Auto Club Group
The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America. ACG and its affiliates provide membership, travel, insurance and financial services offerings to over 9 million members across eleven states and two U.S. territories including Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; most of Illinois and Minnesota; and a portion of Indiana. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 55 million members in the United States and Canada and whose mission includes protecting and advancing freedom of mobility and improving traffic safety.