Wales Tourism and Visit Planning

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, October 5, 2004 A new survey of consumer holiday buying intentions by sales and marketing information company, The NPD Group, reveals that the 2004 holiday shopping season could be challenging for retailers. Nearly nine out of ten consumers say they are planning to spend the same amount or less than last year. Sixty-nine percent of American consumers indicated they plan to spend the same amount this holiday as last year; 18 percent plan to spend less than last year and 12 percent plan to spend more. On average, consumers tell NPD they plan to spend $655 over the holidays.
Year over year, it appears from our surveys that consumers are slowly but surely losing their passion for holiday shopping, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group. But that doesnt mean merchants should lose heart we are seeing some important growth opportunities. Its up to the retailers to be vigilant and proactive. Those merchants who will ignite the consumers interest will thrive and those who repeat what theyve done in the past will simply survive, said Cohen.

Holiday In Wales Men and Young Adults Could Drive Spending
Consumers age 55 to 64 plan to spend the most this holiday season ($693) and young adults plan to spend the least. But the young adults could be the ones to stuff retailers stockings this year. On average, consumers 18 to 24 years old expect to increase their holiday spending dramatically from an average of $366 last year to $537 this year. By comparison, adults age 25 to 34 plan to cut their spending by 21 percent over last year.

Julie Morgenstern's Five Top Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress 1. Write everything down in one planning system. Make a list of all of the holiday activities that make this season meaningful to you and your family, because the holiday season you experience will be the holiday season you plan. Keep this list, along with your gift and shopping lists and other tasks you wish to complete, with you in an integrated planning system, which includes your calendar, contacts, prioritized task list and notes.

Holiday Wales Men tell NPD they plan to spend more than women this year with an emphasis on electronics. Of all the respondents, on average men will spend $666 this holiday versus $624 for women and they say theyll spend twice as much as their female counterparts on electronics. Thats why marketing can make a big difference, according to Cohen. It pays to look for marketing opportunities within particular demographic segments and implement targeted strategies to entice them to buy.

Unbeknownst to her, the man of Nancy's dreams is waiting in the mall disguised in a fake white beard and dressed in a jolly red suit.

Cottage Holiday In Wales This holiday season, consumers say they will shop more in discount stores, warehouse clubs, outlets and online merchants than at other types of retailers. Seventy-two percent of consumers plan to shop this holiday season in discount stores such as Kmart, Target and Wal-Mart. Thirty-three percent of consumers plan to shop in warehouse clubs and 26 percent of consumers will shop in department stores. Just one-third of consumers tell NPD they will shop at toy stores this year.

Ljubljana is a lovely scenic location and has frequent tourists visiting. It has a great selection of restaurants and bars. If you are planning a holiday here then be sure to read our travel to Ljubljana guide. Travel to Slovenia Slovenia is a wonderful holiday destination. If you are planning a holiday here then be sure to read our travel to Slovenia guide.

Caravan Holiday In Wales Online Retailers Expected to Ring Up Sales
Shopping from home remains a popular option for consumers in 2004. Forty-one percent of men and women plan to buy holiday gifts online. The NPD Groups Holiday Survey finds higher income consumers and 25-44 year olds will be driving online spending. More than half of the consumers who say they will shop online have higher incomes of more than $75,000 a year. Catalog shopping, however, is still preferred by more women than men. Thirty-three percent of women said they plan to shop via catalog/mail order this holiday season, compared to 26 percent of men.

Cagliari, with its glorious beaches, is one of Europes most desirable holiday destinations. During the summer season the exclusive seafront bars and restaurants do get quite crowded. Travel to Como Located in an area of outstanding natural beuaty, Como and the celebrated lake of the same name, over a welcome respite to the hustle and bustle of nearby Milan. Surrounded by snow capped mountains and lush forests it is well worth a visit. If you are planning a holiday here then be sure to read our travel to Como guide.

Camping Holiday Wales Value, Convenience and Quality
The NPD survey also asked consumers about the influences that affect them when they shop. Value, convenience of location and quality of products were the top three reasons consumers shop where they shop. A majority of consumers (56 percent) plan to comparison shop before buying and one in three will wait for sales to begin. Consumers tell NPD that price drives their purchases when it comes to electronics much more than it does for clothing and computer software.

Moslem children in Cape Town © book accommodation in South Africa well in advance for game parks, hotels, catering villas & apartments and even campsites if you are planning to visit during the school holiday season. Many places along the coast are booked a year in advance for the December and January peak holiday season.

Accommodation Holiday Wales Computer software and clothing do not need to be discounted to sell, in the way that products like cameras and stereos do, Cohen said. However, consumers have come to expect that much of what they buy for the holidays will be on sale. Overall, consumers report being slightly less value conscious than they were last year, but they will continue to look for bargains, since theyve been trained over the years to buy on sale.

Holiday Last Minute Wales While it seems retailers push holiday sales earlier each year, this year fewer consumers report having already begun shopping. NPDs survey finds that 27 percent of consumers had already started shopping versus 31 percent who reported starting early in 2003; another 24 percent plan to begin prior to Thanksgiving; just seven percent will begin Thanksgiving weekend. Four percent say they will wait until the last minute to begin their holiday shopping, but 32 percent expect to do at least some of their shopping at the last minute.

Catering Holiday Self Wales Source: The NPD Holiday Survey was fielded September 8 to September 17, 2004. The findings presented here are based on information from 2,372 completed interviews of members of the NPDs online consumer panel.

Holiday Wales Walking About The NPD Group, Inc.
Since 1967 The NPD Group has provided reliable and comprehensive sales and marketing information for a wide range of industries. NPD provides critical knowledge on what is selling, where, to whom and why to help our clients make more successful, fact-based business decisions. Today more than 1,300 manufacturers and retailers rely on NPD to help them better understand their customers, product categories, distribution channels and competition in order to help guide their business and positively impact sales and revenues. Information from The NPD Group is available for the following major vertical sectors: apparel, appliances, automotive, beauty, cellular, consumer electronics, food and beverage, foodservice, footwear, home improvement, housewares, imaging, information technology, music, software, travel, toys and video games.

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