The 2011 holiday shopping season is upon us. In about a week, Black Friday will kick off a monthlong shopping extravaganza that will boost top lines. Which savvy retailers are set to capitalize the most on the festivities?
Kids play an important role in the holiday shopping decisions, as all their biggest material longings typically culminate at the end of the year. Nowadays, electronics are also the gadgets of choice. Market researcher Nielsen
Apple
Microsoft's
Source: Nielsen.
Moving up to the teenagers, the iPad still reigned supreme with 24% interest, followed closely by computers and e-readers, likely Amazon.com's
It seems that the gaming devices start to lose their appeal with age, since the consoles and handheld gaming devices lagged the other categories. The Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 each scored less than 10%, with most of the portable devices like the 3DS and PlayStation Portable at 5% or less.
Source: Nielsen.
Gadgets are today's toys. Apple holds the most mindshare among youths, leading Nielsen to dub this season "iHoliday" 2011. Without a doubt, this coming month is the most important for retailers, although some will bank more than others.
What do you think? What do you plan on buying your kids this holiday season? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.