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RAPAPORT... Forest City Enterprises Inc. and consumer insight consultants at Alexander Babbage confirmed that U.S. shoppers will be driven by value and expect to shift more of their Christmas gift spending toward children's items. Between 27 percent and 33 percent of shoppers expect to spend more on children's apparel, accessories and toys this year compared with 2012. However, 38.7 percent plan to spend less on fine jewelry, according to the data. Shoppers also expect to trim spending on mobile phones and holiday decorations. The survey revealed that 23 percent of those who intend to shop expect to spend more on "value brands" than was the case in 2012, while 13.9 percent expect to spend more on mid-price brands and 12.6 percent expect to spend more on luxury brands. Forest City and Alexander Babbage also found that 32.3 percent expect to spend less on luxury brands, while 11.6 percent and 11.2 percent, respectively, expect to rein in their spending on mid-price and value brands.  "Whether it's a sign of tight economic times or more wishful and persuasive children, close to one-third of shoppers also plan to spend more on children's categories this year," said Jane Lisy, the senior vice president of marketing at Forest City. "What your children want takes priority over your personal wishes." This year, many of the big retailers intend to open their doors on Thanksgiving Day; however, the survey found that 49.4 percent of shoppers will not participate in this scheme. Roughly, 27 percent do intend to shop in store on the holiday, nevertheless, the remaining "not sure" group leaves open the potential for in-store traffic on Thanksgiving Day, which could be as much as 10 percent higher this year, according to the survey. Of those intending to spend in stores this Christmas season, Forest City found that spending intentions were in line with 2012, with an average per shopper total to increase by 1 percent to about $774, while the average online expenditure is expected to decrease by 0.3 percent to $330. The majority of shoppers said the traditional weekday shopping hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. were the most convenient to visit a store and extended hours on Friday and Sunday nights have the most appeal.
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