Super Saturday Weekend Set to Be One of the Busiest Holiday Shopping Periods of the Season

112.8 Million Consumers Will Visit a Shopping Center

92 Percent Will Shop in Physical Stores

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As the number of days before Christmas wind down, holiday shopping will
be heating up. Consumers still have nearly half (44 percent) of their
holiday shopping left to do and 92 percent of them will be heading out
to stores in force over the coming weekend to shop, dine, see a movie
and/or attend a holiday related event, according to the International
Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) latest consumer survey.

“Shopping centers and malls are clearly the hub of both shopping and
social interaction this holiday season,” said Tom McGee, president and
CEO, ICSC. “This latest consumer data mirrors the impressive strength we
currently see in the shopping center industry from an operating metrics
standpoint. This is great news for the American economy as shopping
centers are a major contributor to the overall fiscal health of our
economy, with sales equaling approximately 15 percent of total U.S. GDP.
With occupancy rates of 94 percent, the industry is thriving.”

While brick-and-mortar is the dominant channel, digital has played a
significant role in how people shop. In the days leading up to
Christmas, 37 million consumers will buy something online and pick it up
at a store. Of these shoppers, 76 percent will purchase additional items
in the store where they retrieved their purchase and nearly half (48
percent) will purchase an item at an adjacent store. Furthermore, before
heading out to the stores this coming weekend, 62 percent of shoppers
will do research online ahead of time.

“What we are seeing is a story of convergence. It’s not a bricks versus
clicks story – it’s really a bricks and clicks story,” McGee
noted. “The store has become the central point of the physical and
digital shopping experience. We know that over 90 percent of all sales
occur in a physical location, but digital channels are really starting
to drive people to the physical and influence how they shop once they
get there. Online has created a savvier and more motivated consumer who
is further to the point of purchase by the time they hit the store,”
McGee added.

The survey confirms that the 2015 holiday season is thriving. Holiday
shoppers are on pace to spend an average of $630 for
gifts/holiday-related items – a cumulative total of $140 billion. Throw
food, beverage, and personal services related to the holidays into the
mix for the upcoming days until Christmas, and holiday shoppers’ total
expenditure increases to $737 per consumer.

“We’ve seen an elongated season which has been very similar to 2014,”
said Jesse Tron, consumer and retail spokesman, ICSC. “Consumers still
have a hefty portion of their shopping left to complete – on par with
last year – but are significantly behind the 2013 rate of completion. We
expect the last few days leading up to Christmas to be a flurry of
shopping activity.”

Looking ahead, promotions will affect 57 percent of American adults in
terms of how much they plan to spend on remaining holiday-related
purchases. Furthermore, 37 percent of U.S. adults believe that deals,
promotions and discounts will be better than those found thus far.
Younger consumers are even more optimistic with more than half (52
percent) of consumers between the ages of 18-24 believing this.

Holiday Add-ons

From now through Christmas, 79 percent of American adults will make a
purchase on food, beverages and/or personal services related to the
holidays. The average American consumer will spend $93 on food and
beverages related to holiday events and parties during this time.

Methodology

The 2015 ICSC Super Saturday Survey was conducted online by Opinion
Research Corporation on behalf of ICSC from December 11-13, 2015. The
survey represents a demographically representative U.S. sample of 1,020
adults 18 years of age and older.

About ICSC

Founded in 1957, ICSC is the global trade association of the shopping
center industry. Its more than 70,000 members in over 100 countries
include shopping center owners, developers, managers, investors,
retailers, brokers, academics, and public officials. The shopping center
industry is essential to economic development and opportunity. They are
a significant job creator, driver of GDP, and critical revenue source
for the communities they serve through the generation of sales taxes and
the payment of property taxes. These taxes fund important municipal
services like firefighters, police officers, school services, and
infrastructure like roadways and parks. Shopping centers aren’t only
fiscal engines however; they are integral to the social fabric of their
communities by providing a central place to congregate with friends and
family, discuss community matters, and participate in and encourage
philanthropic endeavors. For more information about ICSC visit www.icsc.org
and for the latest news from ICSC and the industry go to www.thecenterofshopping.com.

Contacts

ICSC
Noelle Malone, 646-728-3540
nmalone@ICSC.org