Figuratively Speaking

This holiday season, amount very generous "True Loves" will pay for all 364 gifts in the holiday classic "The Twelve Days of Christmas," a mere 0.9 percent increase compared to last year: $87,402.81

Percentage decrease in the cost of a partridge in a pear tree this year over last: 27.3

Source: PNC Wealth Management.

Percentage of Americans who never express their gratitude for what they have or to the people in their lives, with men being more likely to fall in this category (13 percent vs. 6 percent of women), according to a survey commissioned by the Chinet brand: 10

Percentage of adults who said that feeling grateful inspires them to give to others: 90

Source: Chinet brand.

Reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 27 days of the November-December 2009 holiday season, according to comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world: $10.57 billion

Percentage increase this represents versus the corresponding days last year: 3

Dollar value in online sales on Black Friday (Nov. 27), making it the second heaviest online spending day to date in 2009 and representing an 11 percent increase versus Black Friday 2008: $595 million

Source: comScore.

Projected amount of money moms will spend on holiday gifts this year, according to a survey conducted by The Marketing to Moms Coalition: $672

Rank of toys, clothing, books, movies and video games on the list of hot gifts for young children: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Rank of video games, toys, books/clothing, movies and music on the list of gift choices for children aged 7 to 12: 1, 2, 3(tie), 5, 6

Source: Marketing to Moms Coalition.

Year the first ever electric blanket went on sale in Petersburg, Va., according to the Census Bureau: 1945

Cost of the blanket in 1945: $39.50.

Value of the electric housewares industry today, of which electric blankets are a part: $2.2 billion

Source: Census Bureau - Bernstein.

Percentage of professionals who said they are not planning to shop online while at work, according to an Accountemps survey: 77

Average number of hours a week those employees who will be hunting for holiday bargains during business hours say they are likely to spend (down from 2.7 hours when the same question was asked in 2007): 1.9

Source: Robert Half International.

When asked about the primary mission of high school, percentage of low-income parents who rank preparing students for college the highest, according to the Deloitte 2009 Education Survey, conducted among high school teachers and low-income parents and students: 42

Percentage of high school students who agree with the statement: 48

Percentage of educators who think preparing students for college is their most important mission: 9

Source: Deloitte LLP.

Percentage of men who believe they have a soul mate, according to an AskMen.com survey: 36

Percentage who say they have found her: 32

Percentage of men who said the most important personality trait that makes a woman "relationship material" is a sense of loyalty: 30

Percentage who said intelligence: 20

Source: AskMen.com.

When asked in an open-ended question to name the most important financial problem facing their families today, percentage of Americans who said low wages and a lack of money, according to a Gallup poll: 17

Percentage who said health-care costs: 14

Percentage who said "too much debt": 10

Percentage who said the cost of renting or owning a home: 9

Source: Gallup Organization.

Percentage of parents with grown children who say one of their adult sons or daughters (social scientists call them "boomerangers") has moved back home in the past year, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center: 13

Percentage of adults ages 18 to 34 who say the poor economy has forced them to move back in with Mom and Dad: 10

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Idle thought

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." -- Mohandas Gandhi

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of Americans who have felt some sort of physical discomfort during an intense day of shopping, according to the Blistex Holiday Shopping survey: 63

Percentage who complained of sore feet: 40

Percentage who complained of back pain: 33

Source: Zeno Group for Blistex.

Percentage of people who say their spouse is the hardest person on their gift list to shop for during the holidays, according to a survey by Zogby International: 29

Percentage who said a parent was the most difficult to shop for: 28

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of workers who expressed unhappiness regarding relationships with their boss, according to the Adecco USA Workplace Insights survey: 48

Percentage of workers who are not satisfied with the level of support they receive from their colleagues: 59

Source: Adecco.

Percentage of small-business owners who intend to give client gifts, according to the American Express OPEN Small Business Holiday Monitor: 47

Percentage who will give employees gifts: 35

Percentage of business owners who said they'll continue to give holiday gifts to customers because they have done it for so long that it would seem strange to stop now: 26

Percentage who said they do it to say "thank you": 82

Source: American Express OPEN.

Median age for a Twitter user, according to a Pew Internet and American Life Project poll: 31

Median age for a Facebook user: 33

Median age for LinkedIn: 39

Source: PEW Internet and American Life Project.

Percentage of CEOs who are "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their current positions, according to a study conducted by ExecuNet and Finnegan Mackenzie: 63

Percentage of other C-level officers who are "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their current positions: 52

Percentage of vice presidents who say the same: 41

Source: ExecuNet.

Percentage of business leaders who say they spend three or more hours a day reading, writing, sending or receiving e-mail, according to a survey by NFI research: 45

Percentage of senior executives and managers who say they access their e-mail from both computer and phone: 63

Source: NFI Research.

Percentage of women who said their confidence is their main weapon to attract men, according to the results from the second-annual AskMen.com Great Male Survey: 34

Percentage who said they use their looks as their secret weapon: 17

Source: AskMen.com.

Percentage of dog owners who said they had pampered their pets by buying them holiday or birthday gifts, according to a survey of dog owners on behalf of ALPO: 38

Percentage who treat their dog to special meals with gourmet dog food: 18

Percentage who cook for them: 17

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of Americans who find it frustrating waiting at their doctors' offices or hospitals, according to NCR's 2009 Self-Service consumer survey conducted by BuzzBack Market Research: 76

Percentage who are fed up with completing paperwork and filling out multiple forms: 50

Percentage of respondents who said they were more likely to choose a health care provider that reduced frustration by providing the flexibility to interact easily via online, mobile and kiosk: 70

Source: NCR Corp.

Percentage of Americans who are above their ideal weight, according to a Gallup Poll: 60

Of the majority of Americans who report being heavier than their ideal weight or say they would like to lose weight, percentage who are seriously trying to lose weight at this time: 27

Source: Gallup.

Idle Thought

"He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it -- namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to obtain." -- Mark Twain, author and humorist

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of consumers who plan to ask their friends, family and loved ones for necessities instead of luxuries this holiday season, according to a recent survey by Black and Decker and Zogby International: 70

Percentage of respondents who would like to get an even split of practical and luxurious gifts: 17

Source: Zogby International.

Percentage of Americans who are of the view that "family responsibility" appears to be one of the key reasons that women do not break through the glass ceiling to the top ranks of management, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends Project: 34

According to data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, percentage of women who now work or are actively seeking employment: 59

Among working mothers, percentage who work full-time: 74

Source: Pewsocialtrends.org.

Percentage of administrative professionals who support one to two managers, according to a survey from the International Association of Administrative Professionals: 45

Percentage who support three to four manager: 28

Percentage who support five to 10 managers: 18

Percentage who support 11 or more: 5

Source: International Association of Administrative Professionals.

Expected retail sales on the traditional Black Friday weekend, according to industry research firm IBISWorld: $42.9 billion

Estimated number of people who will swarm into retail stores on Black Friday alone, expecting to take advantage of this day to ensure they get all the items on their gift lists: 76.9 million

Source: IBISWorld.

Percentage of consumers who say increased credit card rates, penalty fees, etc. is one of the key financial difficulties they are facing, according to the Consumer Reports Trouble Tracker Index: 15.1

Percentage who say they are unable to afford medical bills or medications: 13.7

Percentage who have missed payments on a major bill: 9.2

Percentage who have lost or reduced their health care coverage: 7.6

Source: Consumer Reports.

Percentage of Americans who will visit mass merchandisers such as Wal-Mart and Target to get the most bang for their buck this holiday season, according to the Blistex Holiday Shopping Survey: 73

Percentage of shoppers who won't let winter weather stop them from heading out to do holiday shopping -- rain, snow or shine: 66

Source: Zeno Group for Blistex.

Year that an airplane flew over Mount Greylock in Massachusetts dropping ice crystals into a cloud, creating the first artificial snow, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1946

Because of this experiment by noted scientist Vincent Schaefer, year that the first snow-making machinery was in regular use at a resort in the Catskill Mountains: 1952

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Despite job losses, foreclosures and climbing interest rates, percentage of Americans who are focusing on what they have and are feeling more grateful than they were at this time last year, according to a nationwide survey commissioned by the Chinet brand of disposable tableware: 43

Percentage of U.S. adults who tell friends, family and colleagues every week that they're glad to have them in their life: 51

Percentage who vocalize this sentiment daily: 24

Source: Chinet.

Percentage of American households that use coupons, according to a study by Experian Marketing Services: 66

Percentage of coupon-using households that obtain their coupons from newspapers: 70

Source: Experian Public Relations II.

Percentage of leisure travelers who feel travel is affordable now, according to The Ipsos Travel Barometer: 41

Percentage of respondents who say that -- based solely on their personal finances -- they are somewhat or very able to travel: 47

Percentage of consumers who are also saying that they have the time availability to travel, indicating that there's a possible sweet spot for some travel suppliers and destinations: 66

Source: Ipsos Travel.

Idle Thought

"What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist." -- Salman Rushdie

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)