Houston holiday shoppers to spend big

Houston holiday shoppers plan to be big spenders this season.

Driving the news: Houston-area shoppers plan to spend an average of $2,013 for holiday gifts this year, up 28% from last year's average of $1,577, per Deloitte's annual holiday retail survey.

• It's also 22% more than this year's national average of $1,652.

Why it matters: While the dollar amount is up, shoppers plan to buy fewer gifts.

• The number of gifts has been trending down since 2021, when the average was 17 gifts. Last year it was only nine, and this year shoppers are planning to buy only eight.

Between the lines: That's because inflation is taking its toll on holiday shoppers, per Deloitte.

• Nearly 60% of shoppers have items in their virtual carts and are waiting for deals.

Of note: Gift cards will be popular again this year, with Houstonians planning on spending an average of $241 on gift cards, compared to $196 in 2022.