Friday Factday: A Toy (Spending) Story

The holiday season is upon us! It is a time for festivities and gift giving among friends and family–which means an increase in household spending. According to polling by Gallup, average holiday spending per person nationally is projected to be $906 in 2017, up from $785 in 2016 (see chart below). The most recent Commerce Department figures report retail sales during the holiday season (October through December) increasing by 6.6% over the previous year. This is the largest annual increase for a three month period since June 2014.

Let’s face it: holidays are focused on the kids! Spending on “toys”* makes up a large portion of the gift outlay during this season. In 2017, residents of the Atlanta Metro region spent $6.9 billion on entertainment and recreation, with $240 million of that on the purchase of toys. Spending levels vary considerably across the region. The first map below shows average spending on toys for superdistricts, which are groups of census tracts that typically mirror ‘market areas’. The second map compares local averages for toy spending to the national averages.