MasterCard: In-store Black Friday shopping to rise over last year

New York -- Forty-one percent of respondents are expecting to make purchases in-store this holiday season more often than they did last year, which should make for a busy Black Friday, according to MasterCard’s 2013 Holiday Spending Survey.

The survey also found that more than half of Americans who use their debit or credit card for holiday purchases and have a rewards program plan to cash in their points this season. Of this group, 40% will strategically spend on one card only to rack up rewards points.

In other findings:

• Consumers are most likely to say shopping (30%) and holiday budgeting (23%) are their top stressors


• Spouses are hardest to shop for as identified by 26% of shoppers followed by children (23%) and then parents (Mom 18%, Dad 13%)


• Men are significantly more likely to dread shopping for their spouse or partner (32%) compared with women (20%)


• Forty-three percent of Americans polled preferred receiving a gift card over other gifts