During the last quarter of 2012, consumer spending was up by 2% over the same period the year before, according to the Chase Freedom Lifestyle Index.
Sales of electronics, jewelry, apparel and toys spiked due to holiday shopping. During their leisure time, however, people stuck close to home spending their entertainment budget on movie tickets and books instead of on travel-related items like hotels and car rentals.
Toys, electronics and jewelry saw the biggest jumps in spending, while museum spending took the biggest hit from third quarter to fourth, followed closely by car rentals and hotels.
Changes in spending between the third and fourth quarters of 2012:
- Toys +81%
- Electronics +65%
- Jewelry +49%
- Books +33%
- Apparel +23%
- Movie Theaters +13%
- Recreation Centers -17%
- Hotels -21%
- Car Rentals -26%
- Museums -27%
Looking at the last quarter of 2012 compared with the same time period in 2011, customers spent a significant amount more on movies this year than last. They also spent more this year on books and at hotels, museums and recreation centers. Spending on toys, jewelry and clothing was slightly less brisk this holiday season compared to last year.
Here are the statistics for changes in spending in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the same period the year before:
- Movie Theaters +17%
- Books +11%
- Museums +8%
- Hotels +8%
- Recreation Centers +7%
- Electronics +5%
- Car Rentals +1%
- Apparel -3%
- Jewelry -4%
- Toys -6%
Chase Freedom cardholders get an extra 5% cash back bonus in certain spending categories each quarter. Currently they get the bonus on spending at gas stations, drugstores, and at Starbucks coffee shops.
The Chase Freedom Lifestyle Index comes out each quarter and is based on aggregated Chase Freedom cardmember spending. Data is collected from a broad range of customers across all regions of the United States and from a varied sample of demographic groups.
