For Immediate Release: June 30, 2016
CONTACT: James Miller This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., (850) 701-3015
Average per person spending up slightly, and with more people celebrating, total spending also expected to be higher
ATLANTA, GA– Good news for Georgia's retailers as the Georgia Retail Association (GRA), the voice of Georgia retailing for more than 50 years, says that per person spending will be up slightly over last year’s high, with more people expected to celebrate the holiday leading to higher total spending. Consumers will spend an average of $71.34 per household on food for barbecues and picnics, supplies and decorations, essentially unchanged from last year’s $71.23. Total spending nationwide is expected to reach almost $7 billion, up 1.4 percent from 2015.
“Georgia families will celebrate Independence Day this year by spending in record numbers, making it potentially a very prosperous holiday weekend for our retailers statewide,” said GRA President & CEO Randy Miller. “Lower gas prices, nice weather and a healthy economy all add up to a fun and successful celebration for consumers and retail business owners.”
According to GRA’s partners at the National Retail Federation’s 2016 Independence Day Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, 65 percent plan to attend a cookout/barbecue/picnic while 43 percent will watch fireworks or join another community celebration and 12 percent will attend a parade.
The survey also found that American families are well-stocked on patriotic items: Nearly two-thirds own a U.S. flag, half own patriotic-themed apparel such as T-shirts and hats and a third own patriotic decorations. Nonetheless, 25 percent plan to purchase more of these items in preparation for the holiday.
The weekend is also a popular time for travel and vacations with 13 percent, or 31 million, saying they will head out of town. With gasoline prices relatively low, only 21 percent said gas prices will affect their travel plans, down from 22 percent last year and a peak of 47 percent when gas prices were higher in 2011.
The survey of 6,811 consumers was conducted June 1-7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points.
ABOUT THE GEORGIA RETAIL ASSOCIATION
Since 1961, the Georgia Retail Association has been working on behalf of the retail community to unite and pursue the common goal of creating the best environment for retailing in Georgia. Retail supports 1 out of 4 jobs in the state and is directly and indirectly responsible for 18% of Georgia's gross domestic product.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION
As the world's largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, the National Retail Federation's global membership includes retailers of all sizes, formats and channels of distribution as well as chain restaurants and industry partners from the U.S. and more than 45 countries abroad. In the U.S., NRF represents the breadth and diversity of an industry with more than 1.6 million American companies that employ nearly 25 million workers and generated 2010 sales of $2.4 trillion. www.nrf.com.
###