Blistering Economy Freezes Holiday Spending

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.—More than one-third (35 percent) of U.S. consumers across all income levels are expecting to spend less during the holiday season, according to new research from The Nielsen Company. Only six percent expect to spend more, and fifty percent of consumers surveyed expect to spend the same amount as last year during the holiday shopping season.

Nielsen’s survey of 21,000 U.S. households showed that nearly one-third (32 percent) of affluent shoppers with household incomes of $100,000 or more plan on spending less this holiday season. Only five percent expect to spend more.