According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the most common items consumers plan to give this Holiday/ Christmas season are clothing, books, and gift cards. More than 50% of all consumers questioned as part of their annual Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions survey said they planned to give one or all of these items. Other popular items included toys, electronics, and personal care items.

Despite consumers reporting plans to purchase these types of items, the survey suggested that consumers will likely be thinking more carefully about what they purchase given the economic downturn and associated credit crunch. According to the NRF survey, there appears to have been a significant shift away from paying for gifts with credit cards. Ten percent fewer consumers plan to use credit cards to pay for gifts this year compared to last year.

The NRF data appear to provide more indication that consumers will be putting more thought into their gifts this year. Some suggest that this greater focus may mean there will be a greater focus on gifts that give back in some way, gifts that tell some sort of story, and/or gifts that are considered green, organic, and/or eco-friendly.

Examples of a inherent trend towards gifts that give back include those featured in a recent issue of the Los Angeles Times "Brand K" magazine which focused on two baking companies that sell products for which a portion of proceeds go to specific charities. As a indicator of a trend towards focusing on gifts that tell a story, a recent story in the New York Times focused on "Holiday Gifts with a Story to Tell". Whereas green, organic, and eco-friendly gifts are concerned, one strong indicator of this increased focus includes the number of these types of products available from popular online retailers like Amazon.com. Over the past year the number of products marketed as "organic" and/or "eco-friendly" has increased each month (as indicated by keyword searches).

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