Census Bureau Facts for Features
A product of the U.S. Census Bureau's Public Information Office
Census Bureau Facts for Features
A product of the U.S. Census Bureau's Public Information Office CB98-FF.15 December 17, 1998 The Holiday Season Holiday Shopping -- The December Rush (The estimates used in this section have not been adjusted for seasonal variations.) - Retail sales for the nation's department stores totaled $38.5 billion in December 1997, a 44 percent jump from November. No other month-to-month increase last year came anywhere near that. http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/monret.html - Other U.S. retailers with sizable jumps in sales between November and December 1997 included apparel and accessory stores (44 percent); jewelry stores (159 percent); book stores (78 percent); sporting goods stores and bicycle shops (72 percent); radio, TV and computer stores (48 percent) and variety stores (41 percent). http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/monret.html - For department stores, December sales made up about one-seventh of the 1997 total ($38.5 billion of $266.0 billion). For jewelry stores, the proportion was even higher -- nearly one-fourth ($4.9 billion of $20.5 billion). http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/monret.html - One side of the retail sales coin is what's sold, the other is what's left when the holiday hordes disappear. The nation's department stores (excluding leased departments) built up retail inventories by 20 percent from the end of August to the end of November 1997, then saw the inventories drop by 21 percent in the last month of the year. http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/monret.html Where are the Gifts Made? Perhaps in one of the numerous U.S. manufacturing businesses: Number of Employees Value of Manufacturing establishments (March 1996) Shipments industry (1996) (1996) Dolls and stuffed toys 233 3,429 $0.3 billion Games, toys and children's vehicles 831 32,472 $4.6 billion Sporting and athletic goods 2,448 70,700 $9.9 billion Apparel and other textile products 24,278 843,140 $77.6 billion Jewelry 2,247 33,483 $4.4 billion http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html for establishments and employees. http://www.census.gov/econ/www/manumenu.html for value of shipments. - Ohio employed more people in game, toy and children's vehicle manufacturing establishments than any other state: 3,664 more than 10 percent of all of Santa's little helpers. http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html Or maybe the gifts were produced beyond our nation's borders: Country from which United States imported the most (amount in millions): Item Jan-Aug 1998 Wheeled toys designed to be ridden by children (such as tricycles) and parts and accessories Mexico ($23.7) Dolls China ($641.9) Stuffed toys China ($1,170.8) Toys (not stuffed) representing animals or non-human creatures China ($432.8) Electric trains China ($35.7) Scale model assembly kits Japan ($7.2) Puzzles China ($15.8) Jewelry Italy ($855.1) Skis France ($25.6) Golf clubs China ($11.3) Tennis rackets China ($28.4) Basketballs China ($27.8) Soccer balls Pakistan ($14.2) Ice & roller skates China ($65.9) Sports footwear China ($201.9) http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/ Where Can You Buy Those Holiday Gifts? Virtually anywhere. Here's a rundown on eight general types of retail establishments in the United States as of 1996 and the number of people each employs: Type of establishment Number Employees (March 1996) Catalog and mail-order houses 8,248 180,435 Apparel and accessory stores 132,678 1,087,482 Jewelry stores 27,719 136,901 Sporting goods and bicycle shops 25,222 188,693 Gift, novelty and souvenir shops 36,054 194,401 Variety stores 10,848 92,765 Department stores 10,824 1,850,213 Hobby, toy and game shops 10,814 108,607 - Minnesota employed more in catalog and mail-order businesses than any other state: 13,772. Nearly half (6,027) worked in Hennepin County, Minn., which was the nation's #2 county in catalog and mail-order business employees. (Franklin County, Ohio, with 6,271 employees, led the nation.) http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html Christmas Trees - The $474 million the nation's farmers received from 1996 Christmas tree sales was 3 percent greater than in 1995. It exceeds the amount they received from the sale of a number of other agricultural products, such as peaches, cherries, watermelons, cantaloups, cucumbers, broccoli, snap (green) beans, walnuts and carrots. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-226.html - The nation's Christmas trees and their accompanying ornaments and lights are not all "made in the U.S.A.", however: Country from which U.S. imported most Item (amount in millions): January-August 1998 Christmas tree ornaments China ($328.3) Artificial Christmas trees China ($8.6) Lighting sets used for Christmas trees China ($199.5) Christmas tree lamps China ($4.9) http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/ Holiday Names - There are quite a few incorporated places (e.g. cities, towns, villages or boroughs) around the nation whose names are associated with the holiday season: Place Est. pop. (1996) North Pole, Alaska 1,634 Santa Claus, Ind. 1,199 Santa Claus, Ga. 155 Rudolph, Wis. 474 Noel, Mo. 1,210 Merryville, La. 1,269 Bethlehem, Pa. 70,245 Bethlehem, W.Va. 2,754 Bethlehem, Ga. 419 Jolly, Texas 219 http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb97-185.html http://mapping.usgs.gov/www/gnis/gnisform.html - Prefer to travel overseas for the holidays? Then consider visiting Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Pacific due south of Hawaii. Between January and August 1998, the United States imported $141,556 worth of goods from this territory, while exporting $285,232 of goods to it. No doubt some of these became holiday gifts. http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/ Winter Wonderland - Winter sports bring out millions of athletes and wannabes. In 1996, 10.5 million Americans reported they downhill-ski; 8.4 million ice- or figure-skate; 3.4 million cross country-ski; 2.1 million play ice hockey; and 3.7 million snowboarded more than once a year. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-226.html - Among selected cities, the best chances for a snowy December belong to Sault Sainte Marie, Mich. (an average of 31 inches of snow); Juneau, Alaska (23 inches); Buffalo, N.Y. (23 inches); Burlington, Vt. (18 inches); and Duluth, Minn. (15 inches). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-226.html The preceding facts come from the U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which contains information from the Census Bureau; population estimates; U.S. Imports of Merchandise and U.S. Exports of Merchandise CD-ROMs; Monthly Retail Trade Sales and Inventory estimates; County Business Patterns; the Annual Survey of Manufactures and the Statistical Abstract of the United States. The data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Previous Facts for Features in 1998 were: African American History Month (Feb.), Valentine's Day (Feb. 14), Women's History Month (Mar.), Secretaries' Day (Apr. 22), Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month (May), Mother's Day (May 10), Father's Day (June 21), the Fourth of July, Back to School (August), Grandparents Day (Sept. 13), Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15), Disability Employment Awareness Month (Oct.), American Indian Heritage Month (Nov.) and Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26). Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office (Tel: 301-457-3030; Fax: 301-457-3670; E-mail: pio@census.gov).
