Exclusive: Many Americans already done with holiday shopping

(Reuters) - More than a third of U.S. shoppers are already done with most of their holiday shopping, a survey showed on Monday, signaling that retailers need to offer bigger incentives to win sales in the few weeks before Christmas. The findings underscore the fragility of the U.S. recovery, since consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the nation's economy.

About 32 percent of people surveyed by America's Research Group said they finished a majority of their Christmas shopping in November. Last month included Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when stores pulled out all the stops on discounts to woo shoppers during their biggest season of the year.

More than 6 percent completed most of their holiday shopping in the first weekend of December.

read more at http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/05/us-usa-retail-survey-idUSTRE7B41WQ20111205


Personal note: Add me to this list. We finished up yesterday with Target for wrapping paper, tags and ribbon. Just two more items via online and two small items at the market. And I refused to go anywhere on Black Friday. Cyber Friday more like it. With gas almost at $5 a gallon here who can afford to leave the house? The one long distance trip was with a friend whose car got good gas milage. By the way.. for family in Europe - Amazon.com/UK is the way to go simply because of mailing costs alone. Today we have to mail packages to the mainland (this year they get Hawaiian chocolate dipped macadamia nut shortbread cookies). We are now doing food as gifts.