Wishing You a Very Happy Holiday

(IDEX Online) - I don't know about you, but we're pretty low key over the holiday season. My kids are still too young to realize that one of the perks of Chanukah is presents - eight whole nights of presents even!

Instead, we're looking forward to gathering with family, lighting the menorah each night, eating plenty of  a few donuts, enjoying the fun festivities on offer in the city and taking time to be with each other. 

That's not reality for everyone, I know - and I'm sure I won't be able to get away with it for too much longer (case in point, my almost four-year-old already insisted on branded boots when we went shoe shopping…).

You don't need me to tell you that the holidays are big business (and for many readers, the bigger the better). 

With less than a week to go before Christmas - and Chanukah - the National Retail Federation (NRF) says 147.8 million U.S. consumers are expected to hit the stores this Saturday. 

That's up from 134.3 million last-minute shoppers who made purchases on "Super Saturday" last year according to a survey by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

This huge number of shoppers includes in-store and online activity and compares with the 189.6 million unique shoppers over the full five-day Thanksgiving weekend.

I don't know about you, but those numbers make my mind boggle. 

"The last Saturday before Christmas has become the biggest shopping day of the year, and we expect an impressive turnout by procrastinators and those who just want to take advantage of really good deals," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Those procrastinators tend to be men and younger consumers, both of who are expected to turn out in full force this Saturday, which is not really something you need a survey to tell you.

Over half (56 percent) of holiday shoppers plan to purchase their last gift during the week before Christmas, and 62 percent are expected to shop on Super Saturday.

While the big shopping spree of the year is almost behind us, retailers shouldn't look forward to a holiday just yet. 

Shopping does not end with Christmas/Chanukah. The survey found that 68 percent of holiday consumers will likely shop the week after Christmas (December 26 through January 1). They plan to take advantage of post-holiday sales and promotions (49 percent) and use gift cards (27 percent). 

Younger consumers ages 18-24 are the most likely (84 percent) to shop the week after Christmas/Chanukah, presumably to spend all their gift cards, and then we'll start gearing up again for Valentine's Day…

Woah. 

So, whether you're lighting a menorah or decorating a Christmas tree, doing both, doing neither and just doing you, I want to wish you all a very happy and restful holiday surrounded by family and friends. 

Have a fabulous weekend!