‘Tis the season for food and beverage gifts

Food and beverage items will occupy a prominent place on the list of products consumers are expected to spend money on during the 2019 holiday shopping season, according to Deloitte’s 34th annual holiday retail survey. The survey polled more than 4,400 consumers from throughout the United States.

Food-related findings from the survey include the following:

• Foods and beverages are the top self-gifting items: 42% percent of consumers plan to purchase food and beverage for themselves this holiday season, outpacing all other retail categories, including clothing (39%) and shoes (28%).
• Foods and beverages make good gifts: Among gift items that consumers expect to purchase, food and beverage ranks fourth (43%) behind clothing (55%), gift cards (53%), and games and toys (46%).
• Supermarkets are an increasingly popular destination for gift shopping: 25% of customers plan to shop for gifts at supermarkets or grocery stores during the holiday season, up from 14% five years ago.

In addition, two-thirds (66%) of shoppers say they will spend money on socializing away from home, and for 59% of them that includes dining at restaurants. The average holiday spend on restaurant dining is expected to be $280.

The study showed that online shopping is gaining momentum among shoppers of all age groups. On average, survey respondents said they expected online purchases to account for 59% of their holiday spending, up from 51% in 2015; 54% said they preferred online shopping to shopping at a bricks-and-mortar retailer.

Deloitte survey