The Holidays By The Numbers

According to the U.S. Census Bureau:

The holiday season is a time for gathering and celebrating with friends and family, gift-giving, reflection and thanks. To commemorate this time of year, the U.S. Census Bureau presents the following holiday-related facts and figures from its data collection:

• $27.2 billion: the amount of retail sales by the nation’s department stores (including leased departments) in December 2010. This represented a 44 percent jump from the previous month (when retail sales, many
holiday-related, registered $18.8 billion).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Service Sector Statistics

• 14 percent: the percentage of total 2010 sales for department stores (including leased departments) in December.

• 24 percent: the growth in inventories by our nation’s department stores (excluding leased departments) from Aug. 31 to November 2010.

• $34 billion: the value of retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order houses in December 2010 ─ the highest total for any month last year.

• 21,891: the number of electronic shopping and mail-order houses in business in 2009. These businesses, which employed 320,721 workers, are a popular source of holiday gifts.

• $983 million: the value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments from China between January and September 2011. China was the leading country of origin for such items. Similarly, China was the leading foreign source of artificial Christmas trees shipped to the United States ($79.7 million worth) during the same period.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Statistics

• 88: number of establishments around the country that primarily manufactured dolls and stuffed toys in 2009. California led the nation with 15 locations.

• 579: the number of locations that primarily produced games, toys and children’s vehicles in 2009; they employed 7,858 workers. California led the nation with 98 establishments.

• More than 312 million: the nation’s projected population as we ring in the New Year.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates