The auditing and financial consulting firm Deloitte says shoppers plan to spend an average of $421 on holiday gifts, up about 8 percent from last year.
Discount box stores are no longer the top destination. For the first time, the Internet is the top shopping choice.
There are also plenty of early bird shoppers; 30 percent plan to do most of their shopping before Black Friday.
Consumers also now expect free shipping as a standard convenience, and online retailers who don't offer it will lose out.
