I scoured holiday survey results from six sources and plucked 12 noteworthy numbers (some that contradict others) that could define this holiday season.
$1 trillion: The total expected holiday sales this year are actually expected to exceed $1 trillion. That represents a 3.6% to 4% increase over 2015. (Deloitte, “2016 Holiday Survey”)
13%: The percentage of last-minute shoppers who plan to buy their gifts at supermarkets or grocery stores. (National Retail Federation, “Holiday 2016: Consumer Survey Highlights”)
$419: The average amount U.S. adults plan to spend on holiday-related items this holiday season. (International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), “The 2016 ICSC Super Saturday study”)
8%: The expected increase in holiday spending among Americans in 2016, compared with 2015. (“American Express Spending & Saving Tracker”)
$244: The average total cash contribution by surveyed consumers who are donating cash to charitable causes this year. (PricewaterhouseCoopers, “2016 Holiday Outlook: It’s the Most Digital Time of the Year”)
2017’s Fattest States in America
“Fat” is becoming the new normal in America. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than seven in 10 U.S. adults aged 20 and older are either overweight or obese.
Plane Travel Less Risky than Choking to Death on Pretzel
You are more likely to choke to death on a pretzel than to die in a plane crash. With just one fatal accident for every 16m passengers flown, 2017 was the safest year ever for air travel. But one area of concern relates to the danger that drones pose to aeroplanes. A recent report found that drones buzz too close to planes about 250 times every month. Although light, they are capable of harming an airliner’s engine, wing or windscreen
Global Warming, God and the “End Times”
For a significant number of Americans, the reality, causes and meaning of global warming are seen through the lens of their religious beliefs. Some reject the evidence that humans are causing global warming because they believe God controls the climate. Others believe that global warming is evidence that the world will be ending soon, and that we don’t need to worry about global warming in light of the approaching apocalypse.
.. One in seven Americans think it is definitely (7%) or probably (9%) true that “God controls the climate, therefore people can’t be causing global warming.”1