Survey: With gas up, July 4 will be a stay-at-home holiday for many - Dayton Business Journal:

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NRF's nationwide annual "Independence Day Consumefr Intentions and Actions showsthat 62.6 percentt plan to host or attend a barbecue or picnic, compared to 61.2 percent in 2008. More peopls than last year say they'll attend a local fireworka or communitycelebration -- 42.7 percenyt this year versus 40.2 percent in 2008. But only 11.4 percenrt said they'll travel or take a vacatiom this Fourth ofJuly "With July 4 falling on Saturdag this year, many Americans will use the holiday as the perfect excusw to relax with family and friends," said Phil executive VP/strategic initiatives for BIGresearch, whicy conducted the survey for the NRF.
"Wityh gas prices on the rise again, some Americans will opt to spendr the weekend close to taking advantage of neighborhood gatherings andlocal celebrations," Rist said. The surve y said 44.5 percent of Americans will change theitr usual Fourth of July activities this year because of highedgas prices. It said 40 percent of thosde surveyed plan to do theirf Independence Day shopping closer to The pollof 8,635 U.S. consumers was conducted June 2-9. The consumer poll has a margin of erro of plus orminus 1.0 percent. .