Holiday trivia

To commemorate the holiday season, the U.S. Census Bureau provided the following holiday-related facts and figures from its data collection.

Rush to the Stores
• $27.4 billion: Retail sales by the nation’s department stores (including leased departments) in December 2009. This represented a 45% jump from the previous month (when retail sales, many holiday-related, registered $18.9 billion). No other month-to-month increase in department store sales last year was as large. Other U.S. retailers with sizable jumps in sales between November and December 2009 were book stores (98%); clothing stores (36%); jewelry stores (135%); radio, TV and other electronics stores (42%); and sporting goods stores (71%).

• 14%: The percentage of total 2009 sales for department stores (including leased departments) in December. For jewelry stores, the percentage was 21%.

• 21%: The growth in inventories by our nation’s department stores (excluding leased departments) from Aug. 31 to Nov. 30, 2009. Thanks to the holiday crowds, inventories plummeted by 23% in December.

• $30 billion: Value of retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order houses in December 2009 – the highest total for any month last year.

• 21,895: The number of electronic shopping and mail-order houses in business in 2008. These businesses, which employed 332,405 workers, are a popular source of holiday gifts.

Christmas Trees and Decorations
• $488.5 million: The value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments from China between January and August 2010. China was the leading country of origin for such items. Similarly, China was the leading foreign source of artificial Christmas trees shipped to the United States ($28.2 million worth) during the same period.

Where the Toys are … Made
• 98: Number of establishments around the country that primarily manufactured dolls and stuffed toys in 2008. California led the nation with 18 locations.

• 614: The number of locations that primarily produced games, toys and children’s vehicles in 2008; they employed 9,163 workers. California led the nation with 99 establishments.

• $5.1 billion: The value of U.S. toy imports including stuffed toys (including dolls), puzzles and electric trains from China between January and August 2010. China was the leading country of origin for stuffed toys coming into this country, as well as for a number of other popular holiday gifts.

Holiday Names
• Place names associated with the holiday season include North Pole, Alaska (population 2,226 in 2009); Santa Claus, Ind. (2,303); Santa Claus, Ga. (247); Noel, Mo. (1,615); and — if you know about reindeer — the village of Rudolph, Wis. (418) and Dasher, Ga. (821). There is Snowflake, Ariz. (5,686) and a dozen places named Holly, including Holly Springs, Miss., and Mount Holly, N.C.

New Year’s Eve and Day
• More than 311 million: The nation’s projected population as we ring in the New Year.