Posted on 12/26/2008 5:34:47 PM PST by An Old Man
Edited on 12/26/2008 5:35:48 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Price-slashing failed to rescue a bleak holiday season for beleaguered retailers, as sales plunged across most categories on shrinking consumer spending, according to new data released Thursday.
Despite a flurry of last-minute shoppers lured by the deep discounts, total retail sales, excluding automobiles, fell over the year-earlier period by 5.5% in November and 8% in December through Christmas Eve, according to MasterCard Inc.'s SpendingPulse unit.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
We after Christmas shopped Macy’s and Penny’s today (26Dec). Some shoppers, decent numbers but no crowds. Why? Well there were lots of 20 to 50 pct off signs, but the prices were high. Saw a nice sweater, polyester and made in China, for $109 before sale discount.
Polyester and Made in China and $109?! Got to be kidding. Drop it 50 pct and the customer is still probably paying twice wholesale.
Lazarus
Is Marshall FIelds still around?
In Best Buy today, lots of exchanges and small sales. All CHristmas decorations were down. People were also just plain tacky, rude and crude.
No wonder people want to shop online.
“Americans are scared and broke.”
We all know we are in the eye of this financial storm, with the political end of it just about ready to whip up a good head of steam come the end of January, trending toward March. That first ‘100 days.’
I’ll say this for W; we might have had unusual incidents in this country here and there since 9/11, but we’ve been blessed not to have a rogue weapon used. Now, to see if these weird ‘Bird Flu it will happen’ scenarios or the media’s ‘get ready for ruin’ messages percolates into something more than ratings is reason to never, ever be without food, shelter, water and ammo. That and an escape plan and route with family code words embedded in the message.
Next year, no matter the economy, Holiday sales will be far and beyond the bestest in all the history of mankind foreverandever Oh-bama!
Well, they darn well better be considering all this stimulus stuff he is gonna do.
By the way, what ya gonna do with your free money when if ya get it?
The world is a dangerous place. It’s best to be prepared.
“Everyone spent their money on guns. I know my family did.”
We changed up Christmas this year, had an exchange so we each had only one to buy for, with the execption of the kids, and told everyone to bulk up food and ammo wise.
Did anyone catch NBC Nightly News tonight? The Droidette was in the mall droning about the bad holiday sales when a big old sistah walked behind her with her middle finger up and towards the camera.
Gotta love Tivo.
We all know we are in the eye of this financial storm...
According to every credible source I’ve read, we’re barely out of the starting gate.
Hoorah to that brother.
That means intellectually prepared as well — upgraded skill sets, knowledge of your 401k, etc. etc.
The odds are, you’ll use an upgraded skill set before you fire off the ammo.
***So, EoU, you are correct—Wal*Mart is definitely not selling! ***
I went to the local WM the day before Christmas for dog food. for the first time I can remember, all lanes were open, the store was so packed with people you couls barely get through the store.
This is the first Christmas in as long as I can remember where I tried to spend as little money as possible. This was the rule with all of family members also. The upper midwest is getting hammered with layoffs and plant closings right now, with no end in sight. I’ve never seen it fall so far this fast, and I’ve lived through at least two recessions.
I got a month of vac. off this December.
At the local walmart, first thing you see inside is a 0 plate.
Odds. It’s coming down to odds.
You go to work. The men often seen stragely submissive, even feminized. No one wants to offend those around or above them. Odds on play says to laugh easily and smile a lot. Bob your head like one of those dolls in the rear windows of an old car. Odds are you’ll get by.
But it is coming down to odds, isn’t it. You take classes. You read things. You start angling to whittle down debt and discretionary expenses until you are Lean 6 personified.
Then there’s the kid in the checkout who just plain makes you wonder if he could be trusted at your side. Ever. Or the woman at the service desk who just can’t be bothered with you, even though you’re a paying customer. Women can often be de-feminized now, as though they wear pants in all parts of their lives.
Metaphorically and in reality, it’s coming down to the drop zone pretty soon. Isn’t it. All that preparation. Making certain you trained yourself up well enough and have the right gear.
Not too long from now, we’re all gonna have to man up, each and every one of us. Hitting the target is not a guessing game, nor is it for the pampered who have gamed their way to the head of the class.
Yes, we’ll spend more time using skills in the business theater than the military one, but thinking we can lose sight of actual, physical confrontation, or put it out of our peripheral vision, won’t work. It’s Biblical, yes. That makes the choices made now all the more compelling.
I remember all of the stores on your list. E.J. Korvettes supposedly stood for “Eight Jewish Korean War Veterans.” Other retailers you might remember: Woolworth, Jamesway, J.J. Newberry, Hermans Sporting Goods.
Ditto here, with the additional reason that we get air miles.
Time for a bailout. Or better yet, Reparations. That’ll fix the economy. ;’)
Is it inappropriate for American kids to learn Spanish?
Posted on 12/25/2008 11:53:50 AM PST by I can has Low Taxes?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2154229/posts
Wow, how come this stuff isn’t happening where I live? Malls extremely packed, Best Buy extremely packed...of course, if sales are down a few percent, the other side of that coin is its a few percent down from extremely heavy volume of previous years.
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