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How much Bostonians are spending on average this holiday season — and what they're buying
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Cheers! You’ve made it to the last month of the year. You won’t be able to get another Sullivan’s hot dog on Castle Island until 2025, but at least ice skating on the Frog Pond is open for the season!
Now, let’s get to the news:
Shopping around: The average Bostonian is expected to spend $2,000 this holiday season. It isn’t much of a deviation from last year’s spending trend in the region, according to an annual survey from the consulting firm Deloitte. But that’s still a lot of cash. Here’s where that money is going.
- Popular: WBUR’s John Bender reports locals are expected to spend the most on experience gifts, including holiday travel, seasonal concerts and other events.
- Not-so-popular: Gift cards. Anthony Jardim, who works for Deloitte in Boston, says consumers may skip these easy options. “There’s a couple of reasons why that might be,” Jardim told WBUR. “One, because of inflation, a $50 gift card might not be of the same value this year compared to last.”
- Early numbers: If this past Black Friday is any indicator of shoppers’ appetite, people are buying more — but staying home while they do it. Online shoppers nationwide spent over 10% more than they did last Black Friday, ringing in at a record $10.8 billion. (Even more sales are expected to roll in today for Cyber Monday.)
- Beware of scammers: If you get a text or email from a supposed shipping company in need of your personal information to deliver an online order, it may be a ploy to steal your identity. How can you tell? “Oftentimes, the way to protect yourself from fraud is to stop and take a breath and really, really think about what’s happening here and whether it makes sense,” Christina FitzPatrick, AARP’s New Hampshire director, told NHPR. “So if it’s a notification of shipping, but it doesn’t say which company is trying to ship something to you, that’s a red flag.”
- If you’re missing the experience of shopping IRL, here are nine holiday markets filled with unique gifts, food and cheer.
About that tax plan: State senators will meet this morning to re-up their discussions on Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s tax plan, which would temporarily shift the burden of higher tax rates from homeowners to businesses. Boston City Council and the state’s House of Representatives have already given the plan the thumbs up.
- What’s the hold up? Wu’s tax plan was being discussed in the senate last Monday, but lawmakers adjourned Wednesday for the holiday break. This week, they’ll continue discussions with Wu’s administration on the legislation, and if it passes the senate, it will head to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk for final approval.
- Race against the clock: Wu wants the new rates to go into effect next month. She says her staff is willing to work through New Year’s to make sure the rates are reflected in January’s bills, but ideally, “we’d like to have these timelines proceed in a less pressurized way,” she said.
Helping hands: Over the last week, nighttime temperatures in Greater Boston dropped below freezing. As we venture further into winter, local homeless shelters are preparing to welcome in more people seeking refuge from the cold.
- Barbara Trevisan, a spokesperson for Pine Street Inn, told WBUR’s Amy Sokolow the shelter is open around the clock for anyone in need of assistance. On colder nights, they’re sending out staff with food, blankets and clothing to check if anyone unhoused needs an extra layer and ask them if they’d like to come inside for the night. Pine Street Inn also has a warming center located at 444 Harrison Ave.
On the ice: The Boston Bruins enjoyed a bit of fanfare over the weekend. The 100th anniversary of the team’s first game was this past Saturday. To mark the date, the team played against the Montreal Canadiens — the Bruins’ first game was also against a Montreal team — and clinched the win 6-3. The City of Boston also unveiled a giant statue of a brown bear as a monument to the team in a ceremony officially marking Nov. 30 as “Boston Bruins Centennial Day.”
- Did you know? The Bruins were the first hockey team based in the U.S. to join the NHL.
P.S. — Already dreaming of Friday? You could be watching a live taping of “The Memory Palace,” author Nate DiMeo’s Peabody Award-nominated podcast. The event will feature extraordinary stories from the everyday lives of people throughout history.
