New York – An estimated
23 million procrastinators plan to hit retail stores on Christmas Eve, giving
the brick-and-mortar channel a much-welcomed boost.
According to a consumer
tracking study by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and
Goldman Sachs, 15 percent of shoppers ages 16 and older will be out on Dec. 24
th
,
completing their holiday gift lists.
“Brick-and-mortar
retailers will be buzzing with activity on Christmas Eve,” which is well past
the cut-off for online holiday deliveries, observed ICSC president/CEO Michael
Kercheval.
While sales at physical
stores still dwarf online volume, e-tail gains have far outpaced
brick-and-mortar growth this holiday season.
Post-Christmas shopping
is also expected to be busy, the survey showed, with 47 percent of consumers
expecting to shop sometime during the work week between Christmas and New
Year’s Day.
