• October 16, 2002

If you’re still planning campaigns for holiday shopping, a new study from the National Retail Federation (NRF) survey says to aim at the bargain hunter. The NRF 2002 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, says consumers appear to be taking a cautious approach to their holiday spending. According to the survey, one third (33%) of respondents plan to spend less than last year. The majority of consumers (56%) plan to spend about the same as they did in 2001. Consumers will be choosing their holiday shopping destinations for a variety of reasons. Forty percent of consumers say sales or price discounts are the most important factors when choosing a retailer. Selection also remains a key factor as 24% of consumers say that selection of merchandise is important when choosing where to shop. According to the survey, consumers appear poised to use a variety of retail formats and channels to fulfill their holiday needs. Most consumers (77%) will shop at discount department stores followed by traditional department stores (53%), Internet (46%), specialty retailers (45%) and catalogs (37%).