The University of St. Thomas has come out with its annual prediction for how much shoppers in the Twin Cities will spend on the holidays, and it looks like we're in the mood to spend.
Twin Citians plan to pony up almost 7 percent more this year than last: $680 vs. $637. Last year's spending budget also happened to be the lowest in the nine years St. Thomas has been doing the survey. Happy Days are NOT here again, said David Brennan, one of the three researchers. Things are perhaps just less bleak. The St. Thomas researchers don't go back to see if what people say they're going to do matches up with what they actually do, but that's pretty much the way all these "intentional" surveys go. They got responses from 306 people in the 13-country metro area; 81 percent were women. Other details: Spending: 8.5 percent will spend more (about the same as last year), but just 30 percent say they'll spend less (compared to 54 percent in 2009) Top gift purchases: Gift certificates, books, clothing and accessories Online: 22 percent will buy online, about the same as last year The nearby mall: 47 percent will head there vs. 38 percent last year.
