Angelenos to spend more than national average on holiday shopping
L.A. Times retail reporter Tiffany Hsu speaks with consumer columnist David Lazarus about navigating the anticipated mayhem of Black Friday, which has essentially become Black Thursday as many stores are set to start their sales on Thanksgiving Day.
Los Angeles residents will outspend fellow Americans this holiday season, shelling out $428 on average for gifts compared with the $421 national average, according to a report from Deloitte.
The consulting firm surveyed 5,018 consumers nationally, with 506 of them from Los Angeles. The amount is a slight drop from last year, when Angelenos on average said they would spend $430 buying presents.
This time around, however, they’ll lavish their funds on gift cards, making it the most popular holiday item, outpacing clothing.
And 42% of respondents said they plan to pick up gifts online, compared with 34% who said they plan to go to discount department stores.
Digital shopping will be a powerful source of revenue this year. Seven in 10 Angelenos own smartphones, compared with 6 in 10 nationally. And nearly half of local respondents said they’ll use social media for holiday shopping.
Nearly 80% told Deloitte that they’ll spend more than or the same online as they did last year.
Black Friday won’t be as crucial a shopping day as it often is elsewhere in the country. Only 9% of Angelenos plan to make the majority of their purchases on the traditional holiday shopping kickoff.
A third of local shoppers will wrap up most of their gift buying before Thanksgiving, while 36% said they’ll do it in December.
But almost across the board, consumers said they’re looking for convenience. Seven in 10 said they want free shipping options, and nearly half said they’d like a free return policy. Some 40% are on the hunt for price-matching deals. And 80% of shoppers said they’d go elsewhere if a company didn’t have certain products on its website.
Overall, including entertaining expenses, Angelenos will spend $1,372 for the holiday – a 19% increase from last year.
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