Americans' Holiday Spending
Every winter, from November to December, Americans spend about $450 billion on food, gifts, decorations, and other holiday wares.
That's a lot of cash! Where, exactly, does it all go? Find the details on the graph below and the table to the right.
What do you think would happen if we took just a little of that money and sent it somewhere else? What could change if every American bought a meal for a stranger, instead of a sweater for their dog? Would it really matter? Find out below...
*Mouse over graph for details.
| Item | Annual Holiday Spending (Nov.-Dec.) |
|---|---|
| Christmas Trees | $410,000,000 |
| Gift Wrap | $1,100,000,000 |
| Candles | $1,300,000,000 |
| Book stores | $3,072,000,000 |
| Computers and software | $3,454,000,000 |
| Novelty gifts and souvenirs | $3,832,000,000 |
| Shoes | $4,428,000,000 |
| Gifts for pets | $5,000,000,000 |
| Toys, hobbies and games | $5,258,000,000 |
| Sporting Goods | $7,915,000,000 |
| Jewelry | $9,300,000,000 |
| Stationary and office supplies | $10,940,000,000 |
| Electronics and appliances | $16,715,000,000 |
| Postage for cards, letters and packages | $20,000,000,000 |
| Decorations and home furnishings | $23,000,000,000 |
| Gift Cards | $24,800,000,000 |
| Clothing | $25,622,000,000 |
| Online, catalog and other non-store purchases | $49,308,000,000 |
| Travel | $56,474,000,000 |
| Restaurants and bars | $76,808,000,000 |
| Food and Beverages (not including restaurants) | $97,122,000,000 |
| Other | $4,142,000,000 |
| Total | $450,000,000,000 |