Holiday Decor Surges in Popularity as Consumers Cut Back on Gift Spending

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For the Milam family in Dallas, the front lawn has transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with a mini golf course that has become a neighborhood attraction. Visitors arrive daily to admire the holiday decorations, and families even borrow a club to try their hand at the festive putting course. For Mike Milam, the joy is not just in the decorations, but in the experience it creates for both children and adults.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, elaborate holiday displays like those by the Milams have grown in popularity, especially as consumers prioritize decorations and experiences over traditional gift-giving. According to Deloitte’s annual holiday spending survey, shoppers are expected to reduce their gift purchases by about 3% this year, but spending on non-gift items, especially holiday decorations, is projected to rise by 9%. On average, survey respondents plan to spend $181 on home-related decor, which represents a 22% increase compared to last year and nearly 60% more than in 2019.

Retailers like Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree have all capitalized on this trend, offering a wide range of seasonal decor to attract budget-conscious shoppers. Target, for example, has seen higher sales of accessories like frames, candles, and vases, while Dollar General has noted positive responses to its Halloween and other holiday-themed decor. These sales trends suggest that, even if consumers are pulling back on gift spending, they are still eager to create memorable holiday experiences through decorations.

However, not all companies are experiencing the same boost. The National Tree Company, which sells artificial Christmas trees and other decor, has seen slower sales in recent years after a surge in 2020 and 2021. CEO Chris Butler pointed out that consumers typically replace their trees every five to six years, and many have extended the life of their pandemic-era purchases due to financial pressures. Meanwhile, Home Depot has responded by offering more affordable holiday decor options, including lower-priced artificial trees and figurines under $40, to cater to cost-conscious customers.

Walmart, on the other hand, has embraced viral trends, such as the large white nutcracker that sold out last year. Despite its success, the retailer still faces challenges in keeping its holiday decor inventory stocked, as demand for certain items like the nutcracker has far outstripped supply.

Despite these challenges, some families, like the Milams, continue to invest in creative holiday displays. For the Milams, who spent about $1,000 to create their mini golf course and other yard decorations, the experience is about more than just spending money. They crafted many of their decorations themselves using supplies from Home Depot, turning it into a family project. The family also bought an eight-foot Christmas tree for $129 and a plastic Christmas chicken for $20, but most of their decorations are recycled from previous years.

Mike Milam, however, has become more cautious about his spending in recent years. Between rising costs for food and utilities, he’s opted to reduce spending on gifts for his kids and instead focus on creating experiences and memories. The project has also allowed his children to learn new skills, such as painting and using tools, which adds an extra layer of meaning to the holiday festivities. The Milams’ front yard is filled with a variety of themes, including Nintendo’s Super Mario and a holiday version of the classic movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Though the Milams may spend less on gifts, they continue to put significant effort into their holiday decor, with plans for future themes already in the works. Mike Milam is committed to keeping up the tradition as long as his family remains involved and eager to participate.

 

Elon Musk Announces Starlink Inactive in India After Device Seizures

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Elon Musk confirmed on Tuesday that Starlink satellite internet is inactive in India, marking the company’s first public acknowledgment since Indian authorities seized two Starlink devices in recent weeks. One device was found in Manipur, an area in northeastern India suffering from ongoing communal conflict, and the other was discovered during a drug smuggling bust at sea.

Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by Musk’s SpaceX, is seeking approval from Indian authorities to offer satellite broadband services in the country. The company is working to address security concerns as part of the approval process. In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk clarified that “Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India” and that the service had “never been on in the first place.”

Musk’s comments came after the Indian Army shared photos on December 13 of a search operation in Manipur, which included images of a Starlink device along with seized weapons. According to two military officers who requested anonymity, the device was being used by a militant group. The officers suggested that the device had likely been smuggled into India through its porous border with Myanmar, where Starlink devices have been reportedly used by rebel groups, although the company does not operate in Myanmar.

Earlier in December, Indian police made a legal request to Starlink for details on the purchase of a Starlink device found during a large drug bust at sea. Authorities believe the smugglers used the device to help with navigation while transporting $4.2 billion worth of methamphetamine, one of India’s largest-ever drug seizures.

 

Arm and Qualcomm Clash Over Chip Design Ownership in U.S. Court Trial

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In a pivotal U.S. federal court trial this week, Arm and Qualcomm are locked in a high-stakes legal battle over the ownership of intellectual property (IP) related to chip designs based on Arm’s architecture. The dispute, taking place in Delaware, is critical for Qualcomm’s ambitions in the laptop market, where it is supporting partners like Microsoft to regain ground lost to Apple after the company introduced its custom chips.

The Core of the Dispute

At the heart of the legal conflict is who owns the intellectual property built on top of Arm’s computing architecture. Arm’s architecture competes with Intel’s and is widely used in smartphones, laptops, and data centers. While major companies like Apple design their own cores based on Arm’s architecture, Arm also provides off-the-shelf core designs for smaller firms like MediaTek. The crux of the case lies in whether Nuvia, a company acquired by Qualcomm for $1.4 billion in 2021, had the right to transfer its computing core designs to Qualcomm.

Key Legal Testimony

The companies disagree on whether Nuvia’s core designs, created by Gerard Williams—former Apple engineer and Nuvia founder—are derivatives of Arm’s architecture. Arm’s attorneys argue that the licensing agreement covers Arm technology, including “derivatives” and “modifications” made from it. During the trial, Arm’s attorney, Daralyn Durie, grilled Williams on the contractual language, asking him to acknowledge that Nuvia’s work was a derivative of Arm’s technology. Williams, however, denied this interpretation, stating, “I wouldn’t say that, but I’m not a legal expert.”

Impact on Qualcomm’s Plans

Qualcomm’s attorneys, meanwhile, emphasized how minimal Arm’s technology was in Nuvia’s final chip designs. Williams estimated that less than 1% of Nuvia’s final designs contained Arm’s technology. This assertion could significantly impact Qualcomm’s ongoing business strategy, particularly as the company seeks to expand into laptops, a market currently dominated by Apple’s custom chips. Qualcomm currently pays Arm approximately $300 million annually for its architecture, but evidence introduced at trial suggested that Arm executives believed they were missing out on $50 million annually due to Qualcomm’s acquisition of Nuvia.

Next Steps in the Trial

The trial could conclude with a jury verdict as soon as this week. Qualcomm’s CEO, Cristiano Amon, is also expected to testify, which could further influence the outcome of the case. The final decision may have significant ramifications for the future of chip design, especially in the rapidly evolving laptop and mobile markets.