 They attribute this to people "shopping in stores and malls on the weekends, and ... extending that shopping experience when they get into work on Monday" by "looking for deals ... comparison shopping and ... finding items that were out of stock in the stores".In 2006, the average US household was expected to spend about $1,700 on Christmas and holiday spendings.Retail strategists such as ICSC Research observed in 2005 that 15% of holiday expenditures were in the form of gift certificates, a percentage that was rising.