STEVENS, Pa., Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Gift shopping through the first half of the year was active -- givers spent some $563 on average buying gifts through June 30, a study says.
The study by Unity Marketing found gifts for specific celebration occasions -- such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and graduations -- were purchased by 96 percent of the respondents. Gifts for holidays -- like Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Father's Day -- were bought by 84 percent.
"Unity Marketing expects total gift spending could reach $1,853 on average, up about 7.4 percent over average gift spending of $1,726 last year," says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing. "Clearly the economic impact of the devastating loses from the hurricane and rising gas prices are not factored into those projections."
Since Americans are exhibiting a greater propensity to give, more families might be directing portions of their Christmas gift budgets toward charities like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities USA or United Jewish Communities, according to Danziger.
