Name: U.S. holiday spending hits 20-year high
Uploaded: 2025-12-24T23:51:14.303Z
Duration: 2 min 13 s
Description: Americans are expected to spend nearly $900 each this holiday season, the second-highest level in 20 years. The surge reflects strong consumer demand and a continued shift towards online shopping.

Americans are expected to spend nearly $900 each this holiday season, the second-highest level in 20 years. The surge reflects strong consumer demand and a continued shift towards online shopping.

Washington

Holiday spending in the United States has reached its highest point in 20 years, with a significant shift toward online shopping. Despite the festive atmosphere, many consumers are concerned about rising prices, driven in part by tariff policies and inflation nearing 3%.

The issue of affordability has become a political flashpoint, with President Trump touting economic growth and dismissing concerns as partisan attacks. As the midterm elections approach, the debate over the true state of the economy is expected to intensify, though Americans continue to celebrate the season.

U.S. holiday spending hits 20-year high

On the face of it, it's a festive season like so many before. The nation's people embracing the seasonal cheer and wandering at the decorations in cities and towns from sea to shining sea. Goods are flying off the shelves of the online warehouses, confirming that the trend to online rather than in-person shopping is now firmly set, though some still resist. I feel like sometimes online you can find better deals, but I always prefer to find something in person if I can because I get to try it on, and I also just love browsing. But underlying the shopping spree is a deep concern about costs. Driven up partly by the administration's tariff policy, goods are costing a lot more than before, prices outstripping an inflation level nudging 3%, and the issue of affordability has become a hot political button, inspiring worries about the strength of the U.S. economy. Everything is obviously overpriced. I consider myself middle class recently, but that's kind of been fading away, my perception of what middle class has been fading away. You know, we have just basic things like your dog, your groceries. I mean, everything kind of adds up quickly. I am concerned that it's just going to keep inflating, and we're going to go into an actual recession. But the view from the White House is less gloomy. President Trump insisting his figures show massive economic growth under his administration and traveling to rallies to spread the message that the issue of affordability is what he calls a Democrat hoax. You talk about cutting prices, cutting costs, and cutting prices. You talk about affordability. You know, the Democrats, they're the ones that got us into the mess. They're the ones that caused the high prices. The question is whether those who agree with President Trump now will still do so in the midterm elections in November next year, and this may be defined by the economic reality rather than what the president says. For now, though, there appears to be widespread agreement on one thing. The economy is bad, but we've still got to celebrate. Mike Hanna, Al Jazeera, Washington.

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