The International Shopping Traveler

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I love to shop when I travel to the USA, in fact my friends and family out there call me the 'Queen of the outlet malls.' And despite these challenging economic times, I am not alone.

Shopping, dining and cultural travel are the top tourism activities for visitors to the U.S., according to a recent study* commissioned by Taubman Centers and Shop America Alliance in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel & Tourism Industries.     

Highlights of The International Shopping Traveler study results include:

• Nearly 20% of these travelers say they have already booked their next trip to the U.S. and an additional 50% are very likely to visit and shop in the next 12 months.

• SHOPPING DRIVES TRAVEL. For a large number of travelers, shopping influences destination choice. 30% said it was a factor in their choice of destinations, while 23% said it was a key reason for the trip.

• ECONOMIC IMPACT. These travelers allocated a sizeable portion of total trip spend to shopping activities, spending on average $1063 per person on shopping out of a total average of $3692 per total trip, per person.

                                Shopping Spend -- Total Trip Spend -- Shopping % of total
Overall Average           $1063                     $3692                 29%
Canada                        $ 757                     $2490                 30%
Mexico                         $1310                    $3249                 40%
UK                               $968                     $3845                25%
Japan                           $1200                    $4722                 25%
Germany                      $1085                     $4127                26%

• APPAREL LEADS. International shoppers most frequently purchased apparel.

• OTHER POPULAR CATEGORIES. Footwear (47%), food/candy (47%) souvenirs (47%), fashion accessories (39%) and cosmetics/beauty products (39%) were key categories purchased by the international shopping traveler.

• SHOPPED FOR SELF AND FAMILY. 84% made purchases for themselves followed by spouse/significant other (68%) and children (44%).

• BRAND SAVVY. Brand preferences* vary by inbound market. The top 25 brands shopped for overall are:

*Duplicate names on the same line indicate that the same percentage of International Shopping Travelers surveyed, selected those brands.

• MOTIVATORS: VALUE & SELECTION. Good value and a wide selection of brands are most often cited as important elements of the shopping experience.

• CULTURAL & HERITAGE ATTRACTIONS AND UNIQUE DINING ARE IMPORTANT. It is clear that International shopping travelers are also cultural travelers - visiting historic sites (48%), museums/art exhibits (39%), concerts/theatres (36%), national parks (48%) and 27% report also shopping at Museum Stores. 42% reported seeking out unique dining experiences while visiting the U.S.

• ONLINE TRAVEL. The vast majority of international travelers currently use online sites to plan and book their travel to the U.S.

• WHERE THEY SHOP. Destination preferences* vary by inbound market. The top 25 cities visited by international shopping travelers overall are:

*Duplicate destinations on the same line indicate that the same percentage of International Shopping Travelers surveyed, selected those cities.

For a copy of the Executive Summary, please visit: www.ShopAmericaTours.com/Media

* Research on The International Shopping Traveler from the top five international inbound markets to the U.S. - Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany and Japan, representing 75% of all inbound U.S. Travelers - was conducted by Mandala Research via an online survey in January 2009. Survey respondents in each country, 1760 in total, had visited the U.S. in the past 12 months and had shopped.