According to the National Retail Federation, 2024 winter holiday spending in the United States is expected to reach a record $902 per person,* spanning all categories, per a consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. This amounts $25 per person more than last year’s figure and $16 higher than the previous record set in 2019, the organization adds. Notably, personal care and beauty appear on 25% of consumers' wish lists. This data just scratches the surface. Let's get into the numbers.
According to the National Retail Federation, 2024 winter holiday spending in the United States is expected to reach a record $902 per person,* spanning all categories, per a consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. This amounts $25 per person more than last year’s figure and $16 higher than the previous record set in 2019, the organization adds. Notably, personal care and beauty appear on 25% of consumers' wish lists. This data just scratches the surface. Let's get into the numbers.
Online Growth Picks Up in Holiday Shopping
A recent Coresight Research survey of more than 3,500 U.S. consumers found that total holiday retail sales across all categories are expected to grow by 3.0% year-over-year, while online retail sales to increase by 9.0% year-over-year, a faster rate than 2023.
Per the survey, 52.3% of consumers start shopping for the holidays before November, a notable jump from the 44.3% who did so last year, perhaps an indication of value-seeking.
Holiday Beauty and Personal Care Spending
According to Coresight's data, 32.1%** of shoppers expect to purchase beauty/grooming products and fragrances during this year's holiday season. This is an uptick from the 28.7% who signaled intent in 2023.
Of those shoppers, 9.6% expect to spend more in the categories this year, compared to 7.2% who said the same in 2023.
Top Holiday 2024 Retail Destinations
Per Coresight, 3/5 of consumers are expecting to find gift ideas in brick-and-mortar shops. Their top destinations this season? Walmart, Amazon and Target.
Overall, mass merchandisers, online marketplaces and department stores are top holiday shopping destinations.
That said, 22.3% of consumers surveyed by Coresight are planning on shopping at beauty stores:
- 11.2% are shopping at Ulta standalone stores/9.0% will shop at Ultas within Targets
- 10.1% will shop at standalone Sephora stores/5.8% will shop in Sephoras within Kohl's (16.6% of consumers will be shopping at Kohl's)
*The survey asked 8,191 U.S. adult consumers about their holiday shopping plans in early October 2024.
**U.S. consumers aged 18-plus who expect to spend on the holiday season—2,001 surveyed in October 2024 and 1,520 surveyed in October 2023
