Holiday market: Facts and Figures:

With total consumer sales of $3.3 billion, the Christmas decor and collectibles industry is no longer a seasonal business and nearly two-thirds of adult Americans bought Christmas decorative items for the home last year, According to Unity Marketing's latest market research report.

Holiday Fun Facts For the Retail Industry
From the International Council of Shopping Centers


HOLIDAY FUN FACTS
 

• This year, most malls will begin decorating for the holidays on November 1

• The percentage of malls that are decorating for holidays other than Christmas: 9 percent

• The holiday song played most frequently last year was "Jingle Bells"

• The second-most frequently played song was "White Christmas"

• The average number, per mall, of full-time seasonal employees hired by management in 1999: 1

• The average number, per mall, of part-time seasonal employees hired by management in 1999: 4

• The percentage of malls that will advertise for the 2000 holiday season on the Internet: 47 percent

• The percentage of malls that will advertise for the 2000 holiday season in print ads: 84 percent
   

SANTA CLAUS AT THE MALL
 

• The average number of full-time Santas employed per mall in 1999: 1

• The average number of part-time Santas employed per mall in 1999: 2

• Santa Claus will arrive at most malls on November 18

• The percentage of malls that will mark Santa's arrival with a special event: 80 percent

• The most common method of arrival will be a parade -- other methods include on a fire engine, by horse-drawn sleigh or during a children's breakfast

• The average number of children who visited Santa Claus, per mall, in 1999: 7,720

• The average number of children who visited Santa Claus per day, in 1999: More than 80 children (for 44 percent of responding malls) 60-80 children (20 percent) 40-60 children (24 percent) 20-40 children (12 percent)
   

SALES & SERVICES
 

• The percentage of marketing directors projecting that sales at their mall will increase during the 2000 holiday season, compared with the 1999holiday season: 74 percent

• The day during the 1999 holiday season that had the highest mall vehicle traffic was the Saturday before Christmas (December 18)

• The percentage of malls that will offer gift wrapping services in 2000: 69 percent
  Among malls that offered gift-wrapping services and had figures available, the average number of gifts that were wrapped, per mall, during the
  1999 holiday season was 4,154

• The percentage of malls that will offer mall gift certificates this year: 81 percent

• The average amount in gift certificates sales, per mall, during the 1999 holiday season: $317,744

• The denomination of gift certificate that is sold most frequently is $25

• The average amount of a gift certificate purchase is $65