By the end of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, 45% of American adults had started their holiday shopping. That’s up from 27% earlier in the month. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that half (50%) haven’t begun their shopping.

Men seem to be procrastinating more than women when it comes to launching their holiday shopping. Fifty-six percent (56%) of men admit they have yet to start their shopping, compared to 44% of women who haven’t begun.

At the other extreme, 13% have now finished their holiday shopping. That’s up from 5% earlier in the month.

News stories released over the past few days indicate that even though more shoppers hit the malls and superstores this year, they spent less money over the Thanksgiving weekend compared with last year. According to a National Retail Federation survey, consumers spent an average of $347.44, down 3.5% from last year. The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey reveals a similar trend. Fifty-six percent (56%) say they’ll spend less on gifts than they did last year, while 15% claim they’ll spend more. And when it comes to gift giving, most adults (61%) say they’ll spend more money on specific gifts than gift cards (16%).

Overall, a plurality (43%) of adults consider holiday gift shopping a fun experience. Thirty-five percent (35%) find shopping to be an unpleasant chore, while 18% say it’s somewhere in between. Younger adults are far more enthusiastic about holiday shopping than their elders.

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