Shoppers in Illinois Are Spending More This Christmas

It would be nice if the rest of that headline read "on their favorite morning radio personalities." But, no. It means spending more on nearly everyone on their list.

Even though Black Friday and Cyber Monday are in the rear-view mirror, a new report suggests that those two days were literally and figuratively the start of some increased holiday spending by Illinois residents.

The average Illinois shopper plans to spend $956 on gifts this holiday season.

Nearly one in four shoppers in Illinois (23%) say they will spend more on gifts in 2017, according to a recent AAA Consumer Pulse survey. The boost in spending comes from a strong labor market, which is generating higher incomes and boosting consumer confidence. Overall, AAA has seen a 40% increase in shoppers who say they will spend more money on gifts this holiday season.

According to the study:

• Gift cards, cash, and clothing are the top gifts people want this holiday season. The top selling gift cards are Amazon, Home Depot, and Lowes.
• More than one in three (36%) will use their smart phone to purchase gifts this year, a 16% increase over 2016.
• Online shopping continues to gain ground this holiday season as 74% of shoppers say they will do at least half of their shopping on the web.

So, as long as you're going to be doing some big spending...