CB12-FF.24

 December 18, 2012

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 holidayrelated, 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 

<http://www.census.gov/econ/currentdata/dbsearch?program=MRTS&startYear=1992&endYear

=2012&categories=44X72&dataType=SM&geoLevel=US&adjusted=1¬Adjusted=1&errorD

ata=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 

<http://www.census.gov/econ/currentdata/dbsearch?program=MRTS&startYear=1992&endYear

=2012&categories=44X72&dataType=SM&geoLevel=US&adjusted=1¬Adjusted=1&errorD

ata=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 

<http://www.census.gov/econ/currentdata/dbsearch?program=MRTS&startYear=1992&endYear

=2012&categories=44X72&dataType=SM&geoLevel=US&adjusted=1¬Adjusted=1&errorD

ata=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 

<http://www.census.gov/econ/currentdata/dbsearch?program=MRTS&startYear=1992&endYear

=2012&categories=44X72&dataType=SM&geoLevel=US&adjusted=1¬Adjusted=1&errorD

ata=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, 

<http://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

<http://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, 

<http://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, 

<http://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 

<http://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 

<http://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 

<http://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2008/summarytables.html>.

A list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series:

African-American History Month (February) Labor Day 

Super Bowl Grandparents Day 

Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)

Women’s History Month (March) Unmarried and Single Americans Week 

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/ Halloween (Oct. 31)

St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May) (November) 

Older Americans Month (May) Veterans Day (Nov. 11)

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) Thanksgiving Day 

Mother’s Day The Holiday Season (December) 

Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)

Father’s Day 

The Fourth of July (July 4)

Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26)

Back to School (August)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling 

variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an 

observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to 

the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: 

<pio@census.gov>.