Against the backdrop of an economy that grows more precarious by the day, the outlook for holiday gift spending is bleak. Even so, consumers will be buying gifts, and consumer electronics will be high on their shopping lists, even whether spending will be lower that year.

Amid the diminished expectations, some product categories will hold their own that season, industry and retail analysts say. An early November survey of consumer intentions by the Consumer Electronics Assn. found that

U.S. shoppers expect to spend an average of $1,437 on gifts that year, less than the $1,671 they spent in 2007. Still, consumers say they’ll allocate a larger percentage of their spending — 28 percent vs. 22 percent last year — to consumer electronics. The notion is that families will opt for at-home entertainment rather than travel and dining out.

And despite what you may have heard about video entertainment migrating to […]

Orginal post by dhiram