Most Christmas Shoppers Are At Least 56% Done Says Survey - Central Coast News KION/KCBA

Washington, D.C.– A new study by the National Retail Federation has found that as of December 10th, Christmas shoppers are over 56% done by now. So by the Thursday before Christmas that percentage is now much higher. Hot holiday promotions and a propensity to shop early and often has put American holiday shoppers in a much better place in terms of the amount of shopping they need to cram in these final days.

According to NRF's latest holiday survey conducted by BIGinsight between December 3 and 10, the average person had completed 56.5 percent of their shopping, up from the 46.5 percent this time last year and the highest percentage in the survey's 10-year history. Still, just 11.3 percent of Americans say they had completely wrapped up their lists, leaving much shopping left to be done.

NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay says, "Having made a list and checked it twice, holiday shoppers have been out in full force these last few weeks, leaving only a few stones unturned." He continues, "There's no question that holiday shoppers wanted to make the most out of retailers' promotions as early as they could, but as personal schedules get even busier these days, we know there are plenty of people who haven't even made a dent in their list yet. As two of the most important weeks of the holiday season, retailers will do their best to pull in those final dollars with unique offerings and creative promotions."

"Last-minute shoppers are looking forward to the four-day weekend this year to finalize their shopping plans before the big day, making sure to research everything from shipping deadlines to the best deals on apparel, jewelry and electronics," said BIGinsight Consumer Insights Director Pam Goodfellow. "Budget-conscious consumers have taken advantage of retailers' deals all season long, even after a strong showing Thanksgiving weekend, and could even look to the days after Christmas to find treasures in the clearance bins or new spring items that arrive that week."

The NRF 2013 holiday consumer spending survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to the winter holidays. The survey polled 8,333 consumers. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.