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 Facts for Features: The 2012 Holiday Season The  holiday season is a time for gathering and celebrating with friends and family,  gifts 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  collection of statistics. Rush to the Stores $27  billion Retail sales by the nation's department stores (including  leased departments) in December 2011. This represented a 45 percent jump from  the previous month (when retail sales, many holiday-related, registered 18.6  billion). No other month-to-month increase in department store sales last year  was as large. Other U.S. retailers with sizable jumps in sales between  November and December 2011 were bookstores (76 percent); clothing stores (38  percent); jewelry stores (129 percent); radio, TV and other electronics stores  (40 percent); and sporting goods stores (55 percent).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business and Industry 
  <https://www.census.gov/econ/currentdata/dbsearch?program=MRTS&startYear=1992&endYear=2012&categories=44X72&dataType=SM&geoLevel=US&adjusted=1¬Adjusted=1&errorData=0> Note: Leased departments are  separately owned businesses operated as departments or concessions of other  service establishments or of retail businesses, such as a separately owned  shoeshine parlor in a barber shop, or a beauty shop in a department store.  Also, retail sales and inventory estimates have not been adjusted to  account for seasonal or pricing variations. 14.3% The percentage of total 2011 sales for department stores (including  leased departments) in December. For jewelry stores, the percentage was 19.3 percent. 
  Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business and Industry 
  <https://www.census.gov/econ/currentdata/dbsearch?program=MRTS&startYear=1992&endYear=2012&categories=44X72&dataType=SM&geoLevel=US&adjusted=1¬Adjusted=1&errorData=0> 22% The growth in inventories by our nation's department stores (excluding leased  departments) from Aug. 31 to Nov. 30, 2011. Thanks to the holiday crowds,  inventories plummeted by 21 percent  in December. 
  Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business and Industry 
  <https://www.census.gov/econ/currentdata/dbsearch?program=MRTS&startYear=1992&endYear=2012&categories=44X72&dataType=SM&geoLevel=US&adjusted=1¬Adjusted=1&errorData=0> $38 Billion Value of retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order  houses in December 2011 ─ the highest total for any month last year. 
  Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business and Industry 
  <https://www.census.gov/econ/currentdata/dbsearch?program=MRTS&startYear=1992&endYear=2012&categories=44X72&dataType=SM&geoLevel=US&adjusted=1¬Adjusted=1&errorData=0> 22,534 The number of electronic shopping and mail-order  houses in business in 2010. These businesses, which employed 311,792 workers,  are a popular source of holiday gifts (NAICS code 45411).
  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder, Table CB1000A1
  <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2010/00A1//naics~45411>, If  you're not sure where to do your shopping, choices of retail establishments  abound: In 2010, there were 147,614 clothing and clothing accessories stores  (NAICS code 448); 26,899 gift, novelty and souvenir shops (NAICS code 45322); 23,739  jewelry stores (NAICS code 44831); 21,418 sporting goods stores (NAICS code  45111); 8,876 bookstores (NAICS code 451211) 8,779 hobby, toy and game shops  (NAICS code 45112); and 8,626 department stores (NAICS code 4521); across the  nation. The figures shown are for locations with paid employees and do not  include nonemployer firms (i.e. firms with no paid employees).
  NAICS  - North American Industry Classification System
  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 
  <https://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/> Christmas Trees and Decorations $1.03  billion The value of U.S. imports of  Christmas tree ornaments from China between January and September 2012. 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 ($139.9 million worth) during the same period. 
  Source: U.S. Census Bureau,  Foreign Trade Statistics
  <https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/> Where the Toys are ... Made 73 Number  of establishments around the country that primarily manufactured dolls and  stuffed toys in 2010. California led the nation with 10 locations. 
  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code 339931, 
  <https://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/> 525 The  number of locations that primarily produced games, toys and children's vehicles  in 2010; they employed 7,374 workers. California led the nation with 85  establishments. 
  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code 339932, <https://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/> $9.6  billion The value of U.S. toy imports, including  stuffed toys (such as dolls), puzzles and electric trains from China, between  January and September 2012. China was the leading country of origin for stuffed  toys coming into this country, as well as for a number of other popular holiday  gifts. These include sports footwear ($227.7  million), basketballs ($41.0 million) and roller skates ($31.8 million). China  led Thailand as the leading supplier of ice skates ($10.7 million versus 
  $9.5 million), with Canada ranked  third ($3.6 million).   
  Source: U.S. Census Bureau,  Foreign Trade Statistics 
  <https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/> Holiday Names Place  names associated with the holiday season consist of a dozen places named Holly  including Mount Holly, N.C. (population 13,719) and Holly Springs, Miss. (7,638).  There is Snowflake, Ariz. (5,587), Santa Claus, Ind. (2,484), North Pole,  Alaska (2,154), Noel, Mo. (1,822) and -- if you know about reindeer --Dasher, Ga.  (934) and the village of Rudolph, Wis. (440). There is also Santa Claus, Ga. (166).
  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates 
  <https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2011/SUB-EST2011-3.html> Hanukkah  and Kwanzaa 58% Proportion of the nation's spuds  produced in Idaho and Washington during the fall  of 2011. Potato latkes are always a crowd pleaser during  Hanukkah.   
  Source: National Agriculture  Statistics Service, Crop Production, Page 14
  http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProd/CropProd-12-11-2012.pdf $1.38 billion The value of product shipments of  candles in 2011 by the nation's manufacturers.  Many of these candles are lit during Hanukkah (Dec. 8 to 16) and Kwanzaa (Dec.  26 to Jan. 1) celebrations. 
  Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual  Survey of Manufacturers, 
  <http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ASM_2011_31VS101&prodType=table> New  Year's Eve and Day More than 315 million The nation's projected population  as we ring in the New Year.
  Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates
  <https://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2008/summarytables.html>.
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