Toys rank among the most popular gifts each holiday season, often with shortages of the most sought-after toys inducing a frenzy among shoppers. Interestingly, shopping for toys this season appears to be greater, while overall spending has dipped. The following illustrates current shopping trends, including how consumers and retailers are responding to the economy, as well as the hot toys and toy categories. The overall trends indicate that deals are driving sales.

(click image to enlarge)

Apparel perennially ranks among the most popular categories for holiday shopping, and this year, nothing has changed. While apparel shopping has dipped since the onset of the recession, recent studies suggest a continued recovery. As usual, searches for women’s apparel and accessories are among the most popular. Perhaps surprisingly, the high-end market appears to be increasingly improving; across the board, however, consumers are looking for the best deals possible.

(click image to enlarge)

Consumer electronics are big this year, as indicated by our second installment of the Active Shopper Report. According to a number of sources, including Pricegrabber.com, consumer electronics dominate product searches on price comparison websites and are among the most popular gifts this holiday season. The following visual illustrates the popularity of consumer electronics, as well as the individual items shoppers are looking to buy (and receive) this year. The overall trend suggests that reduced prices is the common denominator. For shoppers looking to save, this is as good of a time as ever to buy.

(click image to enlarge)

Though most consumers plan to cut back on holiday spending in 2009, many are opting to do their shopping online this year. Search interest in Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions have spiked after Thanksgiving, as shoppers all across the country look online for a more convenient solution to avoid holiday crowds. The 20 most popular categories are heavily weighted towards consumer electronics, which look to be strong sellers this year.