BEREA, Ohio — Ready or not, the holiday shopping season is here, and it will be expensive.
A new survey by The Conference Board found the average shopper intends to spend $1,063 on holiday-related purchases this year, up nearly 8% percent from last year. On gifts, consumers plan to spend an average of $677, up 3.4% from 2023.
However, years of high inflation raised price levels, reducing how far those dollars can go.
Danielle McCrae, owner of The Shoppe in Berea, said she's mindful of that.
"Some people are very tight for money, which that's why we try our best to find the affordable but still unique for that customer," said McCrae.
Shops like McCrae's will likely be busier this holiday season.
The International Council of Shopping Centers expects the highest amount of shoppers in-store since 2019. Still, most consumers plan to do at least half of their holiday shopping online.
