YONKERS, NY – Ever wonder how much time we devote to celebrating the winter holidays? In a unique new breakdown based on the latest Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll, the average American expects to spend about 42 hours buying, wrapping, and returning gifts, as well as partying and traveling to visit family and friends. The full results of this latest poll are available at www.ConsumerReports.org.
“When you break down the numbers you really get and idea of how much so many of us have invested in the holidays,” said Tod Marks, Consumer Reports senior editor and resident shopping expert. “And it’s nice to see that it’s not all about shopping, but it’s also about coming together.”
Here’s a look at how Americans will be spending their time this holiday season:
On Gifts
- Consumers will spend lots of time gift-shopping, 15 hours on average. Women plan to spend twice as long as their male counterparts, 20 hours versus 10 hours respectively.
- Shoppers estimate that they will wait on check out lines in stores for about three and a half hours, on average; one in four expect to stand in line four hours or more.
- Once they get home, Americans plan to spend about three hours, on average, wrapping gifts; one in four expect to spend four or more hours doing so.
- Americans anticipate that they will devote about an hour, on average, to returning holiday gifts; half say they won’t spend any time making returns.
Entertainment
- About 15 hours, on average, will be spent attending holiday parties, gatherings or events with friends or family; a quarter (24%) of Americans plan to will spend twenty hours or more.
To and Fro
- Americans estimate that they will spend 7.4 hours, on average, traveling to or from their holiday destinations; a quarter (24%) said they will spend 10 hours or more.
Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll Methodology
The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a telephone survey of a nationally representative probability sample of telephone households. Another 1,015 interviews were completed among adults aged 18+ between November 4 – 7, 2010. The margin of error is +/- 3% points at a 95% confidence level.
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© 2010 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may
not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is an expert, independent,
nonprofit organization whose mission is to work side by side with consumers to create a fairer,
safer, and healthier world. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are
not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports®
magazine, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees,
and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use
of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other
commercial purpose without our prior written permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open
to it to prevent unauthorized commercial use of its content and trademarks.
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit
membership organization that works side by side with consumers to
create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product
testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education,
and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or
other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives
to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. From championing responsible auto
safety standards, to winning food and water protections, to enhancing healthcare quality, to
fighting back against predatory lenders in the financial markets, Consumer Reports has always
been on the front lines, raising the voices of consumers.
© 2010 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may
not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is an expert, independent,
nonprofit organization whose mission is to work side by side with consumers to create a fairer,
safer, and healthier world. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are
not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports®
magazine, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees,
and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use
of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other
commercial purpose without our prior written permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open
to it to prevent unauthorized commercial use of its content and trademarks.
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