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NRF Survey: Holiday Shoppers on the Lookout for Price

Price will be the biggest factor in buying decisions this holiday season, and consumers indicated they will spend about the same amount for candy and food for the holidays as they did last year, according to a survey released Friday by the National Retail Federation.

WASHINGTON — Price will be the biggest factor in buying decisions this holiday season, and consumers indicated they will spend about the same amount for candy and food for the holidays as they did last year, according to a survey released Friday by the National Retail Federation here. Consumers are expected to spend $95.04 per person on candy and food this year, compared with $94.69 last year.

According to Tracy Mullin, NRF president and chief executive officer, “No one is canceling Christmas because money is tight, but consumers will be sticking to their budgets and looking for good deals when deciding where to spend this holiday season.”

Overall, consumers said they will spend an average of $832.36 for all holiday-related purchases this year, up just 1.9% over 2007 — the smallest increase in planned spending since the survey began in 2002. The survey indicated that more than half of shoppers will look for price, including 40% who said sales and price promotions will be the deciding factor in where they shop; and 12.6% who said they’ll be looking for everyday low prices.

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