The back-to-school shopping season has already gotten underway with 29 percent of households reporting that they have begun to shop, according to a special ICSC-Goldman Sachs consumer tracking survey. While the percentage of consumers shopping for back-to-school items at this time of the season is lower than in 2012 (33 percent), it is still higher than in all other years since 2004. Although the season has officially begun, two-thirds of households reported that August is when they will do most of their back-to-school shopping.
Some 19 percent of consumers plan to spend more or substantially more (5 percent) on holiday gifts this year versus last year, according to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs 2012 Holiday Spending Intentions Survey. This is the highest percentage of consumers reporting they intend to increase spending over the previous holiday season since the International Council of Shopping Centers began asking the question in 2004.
With the holiday season right around the corner, the International Council of Shopping Centers is forecasting a 3.0-percent sales increase for the traditional November-December holiday period.