Shapiro+Raj Survey: Despite an Increase in Consumer Confidence, Few Americans are Really Looking Forward to the Holidays

A year of uncertainty and unrest may change how Americans connect with brands

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Oct 24, 2017, 07:00 ET

CHICAGO, Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Shapiro+Raj, a leading strategic brand and marketing insights company, released survey results today indicating that despite reports of increased consumer confidence, over 70 percent of Americans report that they aren't really looking forward to the holidays.

The reasons go beyond the usual suspects of stretched budgets, debt worries, shopping stress and obligations. Macro issues like natural and manmade disasters, terrorism abroad, political upheaval and social unrest at home are exacerbating the decreased enthusiasm. In fact, close to 80 percent of people are not happy with the state of the country and 53 percent of people feel things are getting worse.

"We wanted to explore the sentiments behind the holiday shopping forecasts," said Zain Raj, Chairman and CEO of Shapiro+Raj. "What we learned is that while people may be feeling more economic stability, they have been taxed emotionally, socially, environmentally and spiritually by these macro issues. We believe the brands who understand this context and are able to offer some relief, will forge deeper connections with their consumers this holiday season."

For more information on this research, Shapiro+Raj executives will be onsite at TMRE 2017 in Orlando.

About Shapiro+Raj

Shapiro+Raj is a new strategic brand and marketing insights company built for the Insight Economy™ by connecting Shapiro's 60-year leadership in research, insights and analytics with new-world brand strategy, innovation and ideation capabilities. Shapiro+Raj delivers the kind of deep and powerful insights that inspire ideas that will move people to action. We help Fortune 500 clients improve the value of their brands while driving profitable growth of their business. Headquartered in Chicago, the independent firm also has offices in New York, Dallas and Pune, India. For more information, visit www.shapiroraj.com.

SOURCE Shapiro+Raj