Holidays Look Happy
According to a new survey by the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council, over a quarter of consumers are planning to purchase jewelry and watches for the holidays, up from 21 percent at this time in 2005. Almost three quarters of the 2,792 consumers surveyed said they would spend between $100 and $1,000 on jewelry this year. Almost a third say they expect to spend more on jewelry gifts than last year. But there is a lot of competition for the holiday budget. Consumers are also looking forward to entertaining, traveling and improving their homes this holiday season. Half of those surveyed plan on spending up to $300 on entertaining, with another quarter expecting to dole out $1,000 or more on Christmas cheer. Over a quarter plan to travel for the holidays, while another quarter is looking to make home improvements, with 66 percent planning to spend more than $500.