The Power of the Holiday Consumer

A THE POWER OF THE HOLIDAY CONSUMER A This holiday season, U.S. consumers plan to spend $689 dollars each on holiday-related shopping. Imagine if they spent even just a small fraction of that money helping others. Mercy Corps has a program where you can buy gifts that lend support to those in the world's poorest places. Here is some idea of the bonanza of commercialism that is the holiday season, and some of the impact you could have by taking action through the purchase of an alternative gift that changes lives. JONATHAN FRANZEN BOOK * SALES, NOVEMBER to DECEMBER JUMP 437 OR BOOKS 98% FREEDOM CLOTHING 36% PLANT ONE TREE DEPARTMENT STORES 45% BILLION SPENT IN 2009 ELECTRONICS 42% FEED ONE CHILD JEWELRY 135% $28 BUY ONE COOKSTOVE SPORTING GOODS 71% 2010 HOLIDAY SPENDING, TO DATE XBOX 360 WITH KINECT SPRINT PCS EVO $1,028,000,000 77 OR OR $648,000,000 BUY TWO CAMELS BUY FOUR BICYCLES $407,000,00O BUY ONE GROVE OF SUPPORT FIVE WOMEN'S ALMOND TREES SMALL BUSINESSES хвохзбо 11/1 to 12/5 $17,553,000,000 11/29 to 12/5 $5,028,000,000 CYBER MONDAY November 29th THANKSGIVING BLACK FRIDAY November 25th November 26th $299 $199 S343.31 Average total spent from Thursday to Sunday of Thanksgiving BUY FOUR MILK COWS BUY FIVE SOCCER BALLS weekend. FOR KIDS APPLE İPAD BLU-RAY DVD THE HOLIDAYS OR OR 1234 5678 9123 4567 01/15 $$$ INCEPTION ****** ELECTRIFY TWO MARKETS BUY ONE CHICKEN Value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments from China. $488.5 MILLION HERE IS YOUR GIFT CARD $39.80 January-August, TEACH 10 WOMEN HOW TO READ 2010 BUY THREE PINEAPPLES $35 THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF U.S. GIFT CARD VALUE $499 EDUCATE FIVE AIDS ORPHANS BUY TWO SHIPMENTS OF EMERGENCY FOOD A collaboration between GOOD and Kiki Karpus, in partnership with MercyCorps SOURCES: Comscore; Mercy Corps; National Retail Federation \111111 %24 |хвохзбо