Image from: Holiday Presents / Shutterstock

The leaves have not fallen from the trees yet but a decent amount of people have already started checking things off their Christmas list. According to Compete’s  Holiday Insights™ survey, slightly more than 40% of respondents have already begun buying presents, with 6% already completing more than half of their shopping for this Holiday season. When compared to the same time last year and the year before, this year’s shoppers are slightly behind with their seasonal chore, with 56% of respondents having purchased no gifts yet.

Not only are fewer people shopping early, they’re also prefering to spend more in-store than online, the reverse of the previous year. These early birds stated that they had spent an average of $155 in-store, up from $140 in early October of last year. This year’s average in-store purchase is about 56 percent more than the average amount spent online. Could these numbers be the result of modified layaway programs like those of Walmart and Toys R Us that are drawing people to brick-and-mortar stores for earlier Holiday shopping?

So what were the most shopped-for items? Apparel was among the most popular gifts to purchase with over a third of shoppers buying clothing/shoes during the week of October 1-7. It is no surprise that toys and games took second place as stores such as Walmart and Target tout free shipping on top toys. Gift cards came in a close third as shoppers seek an alternative to spending precious time selecting the perfect present.

Check back in the coming weeks for more updates on shopper activities during this holiday season.