Poll: Holiday Shopping Brings Mix of Anticipation, Dread
by Jen De Pinto, Sarah Dutton, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto
Many Americans come together on Thanksgiving. But one thing that divides them in the latest CBS News Poll: those who want to shop, and those who don’t.
50% say holiday shopping is something they dread while fewer, 42%, say they do look forward to it.
Some chain stores have announced they will expand their
opening hours on Thanksgiving Day, but three in four Americans think that
stores should be closed on Thanksgiving Day, so workers and shoppers can spend
time with their families. Just 18% think
stores should be open to make things more convenient for holiday shoppers. Men are more likely than women to think
stores should be open.
Will Americans take advantage? Just over a third say they
plan to do holiday shopping at some point over Thanksgiving weekend, but few Americans
say they actually plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day itself. Many more don’t plan to shop. The most popular day to shop is what’s often
referred to as “Black Friday”; just 2% say they plan to shop on Thanksgiving
Day.
As has been the case in past years, one in ten Americans
expect to spend more on holiday gifts than they did last year, and 37% expect
to spend less. Half say they will spend
about the same as they did last year.