CB00-FF.15 December 6,2000 The Holiday Season Christmas Trees -- The $460 million the nation's farmers received from Christmas tree sales in 1998 was 4 percent greater than in 1997. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-238.html -- The nation's Christmas trees and their accompanying ornaments and lights are not all made in the U.S.A., however. China was the leading country of origin of imported Christmas tree ornaments, with $535.0 million between January and August, 2000. Similarly, China was the leading foreign source of artificial Christmas trees, shipping $78.2 million worth to the United States over the period, and of lighting sets used for Christmas trees, of which it shipped $210.5 million worth to this country. http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/ Holiday Names -- There are quite a few places around the nation whose names are associated with the holiday season. Among them are North Pole, Alaska, with an estimated population of 1,735 in 1999; Santa Claus, Ind. (population, 1,648); and Santa Claus, Ga. (population, 156). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-178.html -- Prefer to travel overseas for the holidays? Then consider visiting Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Pacific Ocean south of Hawaii. Between January and August, 2000, the United States imported $197,239 worth of goods from this island, while exporting $545,899 in goods to it. No doubt a few of these could have been "Christmas gifts from Christmas Island." http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c6024.html Holiday Shopping -- The December Rush -- The holiday season is critical for retailers. How critical? Here are some examples using the Census Bureau's most recent data. Note that the estimates that follow have not been adjusted to account for seasonal variations. -- Retail sales by the nation's department stores (including leased departments) totaled $44.2 billion in December 1999, a 50 percent jump from November (when retail sales registered $29.4 billion). No other month-to-month increase last year came anywhere near that. http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/mrts.html -- Other U.S. retailers with sizable jumps in sales between November and December 1999 included apparel and accessory stores (46 percent); jewelry stores (179 percent); book stores (84 percent); sporting goods stores and bicycle shops (76 percent); radio, TV and electronics stores (65 percent) and variety stores (49 percent). http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/mrts.html -- Mail-order sales totaled $11.5 billion in December 1999, 26 percent higher than in November ($9.2 billion). http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/mrts.html -- For many of us, online shopping is now an option. E-commerce sales totaled $5.2 billion between October and December, 1999 -- 0.6 percent of total retail sales over the period. http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/current.html -- For department stores (including leased departments), December sales made up about one-seventh of 1999's total sales ($44.2 billion of $302.4 billion). For jewelry stores, the proportion was even higher -- one-fourth ($6.1 billion of $23.9 billion). http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/mrts.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 23 percent from the end of August to the end of November 1999 then saw the inventories drop by 22 percent in the last month of the year. http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/mrts.html Where are the Gifts Made? -- Answer: Perhaps in the United States. For example, there were 242 establishments around the country that manufactured dolls and stuffed toys in 1998; they shipped $307 million worth of these goods. Similarly, there were 778 locations that produced games, toys and children's vehicles; their total shipments: $4.3 billion. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-116.html for establishments. http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/industry.html for value of industry shipments. -- Part two of the answer: Or maybe the gifts were produced overseas and imported into the United States. China was the leading country of origin for a number of popular holiday gifts, including dolls ($638.7 million in exports to the United States from January through August, 2000); stuffed toys, excluding dolls ($754.9 million); electric trains ($31.9 million); puzzles ($20.7 million); ice and roller skates ($79.4 million); sports footwear ($153.3 million); golf equipment ($15.5 million); tennis rackets ($37.0 million); and basketballs ($29.2 million). http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/ Where Can You Buy Those Holiday Gifts? -- Virtually anywhere. The nation had 9,779 catalog and mail-order houses; 122,431 apparel and accessory stores; 10,526 department stores; 10,921 hobby, toy and game shops; 36,603 gift, novelty and souvenir shops; 24,138 sporting goods and bicycle shops; and 28,090 jewelry stores in 1998. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-116.html -- You could find many of these specialty businesses in 1999 in one of the 44,426 malls and shopping centers across the nation, a total that is up almost 8,000 from 1990. California had the highest number of shopping centers (5,972), followed by Florida (3,365), Texas (3,018) and Illinois (2,146). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-238.html Winter Wonderland -- Winter sports bring out millions of athletes and athletic wannabes. About 8.9 million Americans reported they downhill-ski; 7.9 million ice- or figure-skate; 2.5 million cross country-ski; 1.9 million play ice hockey; and 2.5 million snowboarded more than once a year, all as of 1997. Some good places to partake in some of these activities during the holidays would be Mt. Washington, N.H.; Blue Canyon, Calif.; Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.; and Syracuse, N.Y., all of which receive an average of more than two feet of snow each December. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-238.html Christmas Cards -- The nation's greeting card publishers shipped $571 million worth of Christmas cards in 1997, more than twice as many as any other type of seasonal greeting card. This total is up 21 percent from 1992. http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/97ecmani.html -- Of the Christmas cards shipped, counter cards totaled $255 million worth and packaged cards, $316 million. http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/97ecmani.html The preceding facts come from population estimates; U.S. import and export trade reports; Monthly Retail Trade Sales and Inventory estimates; County Business Patterns; the Annual Survey of Manufactures; the Statistical Abstract of the United States; and the 1997 Economic Census. The data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Previous Census Bureau Facts for Features this year: African American History Month (February), Valentine's Day (Feb. 14), Women's History Month (March), Census Day, 2000 (April 1), Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May), Mother's Day (May 14), Father's Day (June 18), the Fourth of July, Back to School (August), Grandparents Day (Sept. 10), Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), Election Day (Nov. 7), American Indian Heritage Month (November) and Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23). 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.