American Research Group has a survey on 2008 Holiday Shopping, and it has the predicting a 50% drop in sales vs 2007.
| Year | Average Spending | Percent Change |
| 2008 | $431 | – 50% |
| 2007 | $859 | – 5% |
| 2006 | $907 | – 4% |
| 2005 | $942 | – 6% |
| 2004 | $1,004 | + 3% |
| 2003 | $976 | – 6% |
| 2002 | $1,037 | -1% |
| 2001 | $1,052 | + 9% |
| 2000 | $968 | + 3% |
| 1999 | $939 | + 1% |
| 1998 | $928 | + 34% |
Considering the fact that 70% of the US economy is consumer driven, this is mind boggling.