The British are Shopping, the British are Shopping

According to a study conducted by Taubman Centers, Inc. (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and the United States Department of Commerce, nearly 90 percent of British travelers say they shop during their visit to the United States.

This 2003 study is a follow-up to a similar report developed in 1997 on the correlation between shopping and cultural/heritage tourism. It compares and contrasts shoppers and cultural shoppers visiting the United States in 2003 versus 1997 and examines market size, trip planning, travel characteristics, travel behavior and expenditures.

The findings show the United Kingdom represented 22 percent of total overseas visitors in 2003. It also generated more shoppers (3.5 million) to the United States than any other market. That’s a 6 percent increase in total British travel and a 7 percent increase in British shopper travel over 1997.

The U.K. market and Mexico were the only countries to generate more shoppers to the United States in 2003 than in 1997. Other countries atop the list are Japan, Germany, France and the Republic of Korea.

The United Kingdom also led all other countries in producing the most “cultural shoppers” to the United States — those who not only shop, but who also participate in a cultural or ethnic heritage activity — to the tune of 1.3 million in 2003. That’s more than double the number from runner-up Germany and far outdistances travelers from Japan, France, Mexico and Korea.

Of the 25 activities tracked, shopping won big. For 2003, 15.6 million overseas (excluding Canada) visitors to the United States shopped while they were in the country, spending $5.8 billion on gifts and souvenirs. That’s an average of $347 per person, per trip. The top spenders were shoppers from the U.K., Japan, Germany, Republic of Korea and Mexico (air travelers only).

Florida was the favorite state for British travelers and British shoppers in 2003. But those travelers interested in combining shopping with cultural tourism picked New York as their top destination. Other popular states for British shoppers include California, Nevada and Massachusetts. Only New York and Nevada gained market share between 1997 and 2003, which helped New York replace California as the second most popular destination for shoppers.

Fifty-five percent of the shoppers are male travelers whose average age is 45. The average household income is $92,800, a $15,000 increase over 1997.