Last-minute shoppers won't save Christmas

Merry Cashmas!

I think it would be intresting if we could determine any relationship between not being able to find Made In USA products and consumer spending?? I know I have passed up buying items for my self as well as Christmas presents for others because I could find what I wanted (made in China)  but not made in USA. 

Merry Christmas Everyone and Buy USA or not at all and put Americans back to work.

Physical Possessions----Broken,Stolen,Lost,Unused,Expensive Bills,Fighting over,Worry,etc---THINGS TO HAVE !!!                   Celebrate the REAL CHRISTMAS with LOVED ONES . Let the Greedy Corporations DROWN in THEIR VALUELESS JUNK !!!

"Down 7% from last year" .. well for the last 7 or 8 years sales were skyrocketing and the corps were reporting billions in profit. Great - good for them. "Down from last year" doesn't mean everyone is losing money. For example, Including KB Toys as an example for chain stores suffering is misleading - they sold nothing but crap, were located in expensive malls (high lease payments) and the geniuses running KB did things like deciding not to carry the (hot selling) Nintendo Wii. This was simply a bad business model & decision making. Circuit City can't decide what kind of electronics store they want to be and their stores are boring.

BTW - where happend to all the money the retailers have been making these past few years? Surely they set some aside for the obvious / normal / happens-all-time downswing in the business cycle, right? I mean, no one's so stupid as to think the good times last forever.

Here in Northern Virginia - the malls are rammed with people. Wegmans, a (very nice) grocery store has to have the police manage traffic in / out of the neighborhood the store is in because it is so rammed with people the roads become undrivable, literally, if they don't. Bottom line, good product / price / service - you'll get the business. C'mon all you Harvard grads, haven't you figured that out yet? Or are you still pissed off that making the million dollar bonus won't be quite as easy anymore?

Last time I checked Christmas wasn`t about the money, the presents and who has what. Christmas is susposed to be about spending time with family, not getting stuff. Sure stuff is nice but it does`nt quite give you that happy feeling that lasts for years.

I can't remember the last time retailers were happy about positive sales.  It seems every year, regardless of the economy, retailers are always whining about sales.  Greed is killing capitalism!

Strange.  Sales are up from last year at the shopping center in my town.

I can`t believe people think Christmas is about money, money is the root of all evil and you people know that!

Greg-281912... I completly agree. Christmas has turned into a lousy commercial  farse.

Maybe we should be happy with what we have and not what we don't have. Family's should celebrate each other, help your neighbor,just be kind and polite. We have forgot to use our manners with a simple Thank You and a smile goes along way more so than any present!!! To all a Merry Christmas

Christmas trees are on sale the 26th 95% off those 75.00 trees  they should have sold for 25.00 that way they would not have to take them to the land fill.

Merchants are like congressmen---if their sales increase, but not as much as they hoped, it is a downturn.  If a congressman's favorite project gets an increase, but not as much as they wanted, it is a cut.

Crazy logic--a plus is not a plus, if it is lower than wished.

they just forgot to bless the the cash registers this year

While I agree with 99% of you about how christmas should truly be spent with family and friends, I would like to point out a few things:

The stock market is trashed.........even before the bad sales.  This message can only mean more and more unemployed people who will need the help of less and less people who are actually working. 

If the markets remain in this condition, or heaven forbid, get worse.........you may be the next person sitting in the charity lines waiting for someone to provide you a decent meal.

If you really believe all the Christmas love you profess and don't spend on your friends and family, then go out to the store and BUY an item to donate to charity.  This will serve two purposes...........It will help a needy person, and it will help the economy so that people can find jobs.

Retailers have yet to see deflation coming and it will come with a vengence.  Corporations will see it as well.  Greed has succeeded in killing our economy in the hearts of men.  But they are blind, and cannot see.  As long as it doesn't effect them is the world at peace for them.  Let them lay in confidence cause they are only fullfilling prophesy.  America is in a mess right now and everyone has been caught up in it's death grip.  Its not about possession, its not about keeping up with the Jones, its not about what you wear, what you drive, its not even about you.  Its about how you love one another.  Love reaches out to you all daily, yet you will not listen nor hear it's call.  Your hearts have harden even to the true meaning of Christmas.  Now, watch what you have sewn oh man, watch the devouror come as the theif of the night.  You have been loved as Love continues to wait patiently for you.  If a son does not receive correction, how is it then loved?

On the contrary: it's the marketing mentality---and the shoppers who trample shop employees---who have ruined X-mas. There's no saving it.

REALITY CHECK: Notwithstanding the pious blather expressed in the preceding, and no doubt, the subsequent, comments about "The true meaning of Christmas", and the nauseous pontificating about "The evils of corporate America", the REALITY of the situation is that "The Business of America is Business", and when "The Bottom Line" of American business suffers, the majority of Americans will also suffer...and the suffering is only just beginning, with the worst yet to come. I'd say, "stay tuned" and see for yourself, but if you're among the majority of Americans, the only other choice you've got is to "tune out", and that has problems of its own.

Now, Here's some things you could buy to donate to the homeless/needy:

A nice warm sleeping bag

A tent

A coleman stove

A warm winter coat

A pair of Boots

A ski Suit

A pair of warm woolen socks

A pair of warm woolen mittens

Food of all kinds

A warm hat

A warm Scarf

A cord of wood

Anyone else out there have some ideas on Christmas gifts they could give to the needy???

Maybe it's time that people put things into perspective especially when it comes to their children.  I find it unrealistic that 12 year old needs an iphone.  I saw a 6 year old today on  the Today show wanting a cell phone, why?  At 6 years old there life should be school, activities, homework and family time.   Why do parents feel the need to cave in to their child's needs?  Oh, could that be because they want to be a friend and not a parent.  If this is the case then I'm afraid to see how the next generation is going to turn out to be.

The reality is that physical gifts really do not matter.  I am so appalled that the media implies that we need to continue to buy cheaply-made stuff with credit card plastic or with money that we just do not have.   I was at Target today to get a couple last-moment items for a get-together tomorrow when the cashier asked me if I wanted to apply for a store charge account.  I know that she is programmed to ask every customer, but it's obnoxious that these corporations are still doing this with the state of the economy as it is.

I made a little sweater for my 16 year old dog friend who did not make it to Christmas 2008. She passed away after having a heart attack yesterday morning.  I was so crushed as we were best buds for so long.    Christmas is just not the same to me this year as I lost my friend.  It was also the stark reminder that all life is so precious and physical things cannot replace life and time spent with others.  It is my hope that year people will remember that the Holiday season is not about physical STUFF. 

My goal is to owe nothing but the house, one car and mothlys.

I have no idea how deep the GOP & RNC dug this hole. I know my online business is pretty much gone. Ad revenues down 95%. Thanks Bush!!

I have no idea if the economy returns or if it comes back under a different model. I think if anything it will teach us American to not spend like theres no tomorrow. I know I'll never trust big business or the GOP Politicians in their back pocket again.

Oh I don't know, every store I went to was plumb full of shoppers! And there were alot of empty shelves, so someone has been buying all that stuff now haven't they?

This economy is nothing compared to the 70's. We were so poor when I was a kid that I hoped for an erection on Christmas morning just so i'd have something to play with!

Being a Hindu, I am taking advantage of the deals and the ability to work overtime during the holidays.

I have to admit with the huge discounts, there is no excuse to pay full price or even a 20% discount.