What Americans spend on holiday decorations
Consumers will spend an average of $1,050 this year on holiday decor and gifts, up 4 percent from 2018
Decking the halls can be costly.
Consumers say they will splurge an average of $1,050 his year. That’s up 4 percent from last year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey. The cost includes gifts, decorations, flowers and other non-gift purchases.
Americans will spend $230 on average just on decorations for the holidays, according to the National Retail Federation.
Americans will spend an average of $230 just on decorations alone, according to NRF. The average estimate of a real Christmas tree this year is $80, up from $78 in 2018, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. And that’s without all of the festive fixings. Making seasons bright can cost between $80 and up to $300 just for the light strands alone, and homeowners shell out an average of $404 for getting Christmas lights installed outside of their homes, a cost that can range between $202 and up to $607, according to statistics from HomeAdvisor, a marketplace for homeowners.
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Just ask Denise Piccolo, a New York-based interior designer who has turned Manhattan penthouses, mansions and mega-yachts into scenic winter wonderlands. This year, she says, the majority of her clients have opted for classic white color schemes with elegant white ribbons, evergreen garlands, and trees covered in silver and gold accents. Her Christmas tree decorating service starts at $125 per foot, and her rate increases depending on a client’s vision.
"My clientele is accustomed to the finer things, and they want their residences decorated professionally," Piccolo told FOX Business. "They have high standards."
One of her most extravagant holiday tasks was decorating a 17,000-square-foot home she adorned with dozens of fully decorated Christmas trees, including a 14-foot evergreen at the grand entrance that took a team of six to complete over the course of a week, setting a client back $50,000, she said.
Denise Piccolo, an interior decorator from New York, is on call to make the holiday season bright. (Courtesy of Piccolo).
"When it comes to decorating, there are so many variables that come into play when determining cost, like fresh-cut greens versus artificial, shatterproof ornaments, designer name [brands] and crystal," Piccolo said.
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And for those who want to show off their winter wonderlands, a party planner to help plan a holiday party can cost anywhere between $500 and $750, according to Thumbtack, an online hiring service.