ST PAUL, Minn. — An estimated 166 million people will do some of their holiday shopping this weekend, but more and more are electing to buy gifts that are outside the box.
According to both national and local holiday spending surveys conducted by Deloitte, spending on experiences — think concert tickets, sporting events, classes and meals out — continues to rebound in a major way following the pandemic. In fact, it's expected to help make up for an otherwise lackluster year of gift-giving.
"Instead of having things to open, it's more, we go out and do things as a family," said Kate Gilman, who says her family is among many who have adopted a new tradition of giving experiences.
That philosophy is what brought Kate Gilman and her daughter, Lillian Gilman, to Cooks of Crocus Hill in St. Paul on Black Friday. They weren't there to shop, they were there for a "Little's in the Kitchen" pasta-making class.
According to Marie Dwyer, co-owner of Cooks of Crocus Hill, cooking classes have been among their most sought-after gifts this year.
"We are having to add more classes all the time because a single class for hands-on pasta sells out pretty fast," Dwyer said. "We've been able to accommodate more people through the cooking schools this year than we ever have. So it's been fantastic."
That trend toward giving memories is even greater in the Twin Cities. Deloitte's survey found that local shoppers expect to spend an average of $528 on experiences this holiday season, which would be a 54% increase since 2020, surpassing even pre-pandemic levels.
"They want to get out of the house, they want to socialize, they want to bring folks together and they want to have a good time," Dwyer said.
And when shoppers buy an experience, Dwyer says their money tends to stay local and go further at the same time.
"For example, December is already booked up, but what we see is the overflow into January and into February because people love to give a gift card for a class," she said. "That really helps our teams stay equally busy and employed, otherwise, if we don't have foot traffic coming through the cooking schools then, you know, not everyone gets enough hours."
And for those giving experiences, it also helps keep the holiday fun going.
Kate Gilman: "Our kids love it. They went to Circus Juventas as one of our experiences; we'll go to the museum."
Lilian Gilman: "I like to go to Como Zoo."
Kate Gilman: "Get the kids out in the community and have experiences instead of toys that often just get thrown away or not played with."
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