Despite a shorter number of days than usual between Thanksgiving and Christmas, shoppers are expected to spend more this holiday season. According to the National Retail Federation, holiday spending is expected to reach between $979.5 and $989 billion, up 2.5% – 3.5% from 2023. Here are a few key takeaways from the NRF report:
- Consumers are expected to spend $902 per person, on average, on gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items.
- Most consumers (62%) anticipate finishing their shopping in December (even if they got started in November or earlier).
- Nearly half (46%) of consumers plan to make purchases at department stores, followed by discount stores (45%).
Holiday events at wpg properties
wpg property teams are ready for the increase in shoppers with events planned to promote and support retailers during this key shopping season.
Visiting Santa
It’s a holiday tradition that remains strong. This year, wpg properties are offering more ways to make the visit with Old Saint Nick even more memorable.
- Sensitive Santa®: Many of our properties offer sensory-friendly Santa visits, allowing people of all ages to visit Santa in a calm setting before the hustle and bustle of regular operating hours.
- Cowboy Claus: New this year, families at Irving Mall in Irving, Texas can take a photo with Santa dressed as a cowboy or in his traditional suit and hat.
- Monte Claus: At Southgate Mall in Missoula, Montana, the grizzly bear mascot for the University of Montana will make appearances alongside Santa.
Including pets
Pets play a big role in the holiday shopping season as well, and everyone can get in the spirit with these property events:
- Paws & Claus: Four-legged family members can get a photo with Santa.
- Shop with a pet: At Scottsdale Quarter in Scottsdale, Arizona, shoppers can go to pet-friendly stores and restaurants and get a complimentary photo with the Grinch.
Giving back
wpg focuses on giving back to the communities our properties serve all year round, but especially during the holiday season, when needs are greatest. Here are just a few ways our teams are giving back:
- Trim-A-Tree Festival: More than 70 decorated trees were on display and auctioned off at Markland Mall in Kokomo, Indiana. The funds raised from the auction are distributed to local organizations that provide assistance to those who need it.
- Starry Nights Christmas Tree Extravaganza: Local businesses and churches decorate trees to be displayed at Gateway Mall in Lincoln, Nebraska. The public can walk through the mall and enjoy the elaborate displays. Then the trees are sold, with the proceeds benefiting people experiencing homelessness.
- Fill Santa’s Sleigh toy drive: At Scottsdale Quarter in Scottsdale, Arizona, shoppers will drop off toys to benefit The Foster Alliance, the largest provider of essential needs for children in foster care in Arizona.
Thank you to our property teams for making this holiday shopping season extra special.
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