Analysis of 2013 and 2014 holiday sales data on 300,000 products indicated more sophisticated retail product management, higher quality merchandise offered at discounted prices, and promotions extended after the holiday season, suggesting a promotion trend retailers are likely to apply for the 2015 holidays and beyond.
Shoppers in the United States plan on spending an average of $646 on gifts this holiday season, representing an 11-percent increase over the $582 they planned to spend, on average, in 2012, according to Accenture's annual holiday shopping survey. The forecast uptick is more optimistic than other holiday surveys released to date.