[Grimnir]

I have not observed a lack of shoppers. In fact, I've been rather overwhelmed by crowds everywhere I go. I mostly just go to grocery and hardware stores, though.

The article quoted above can be found here:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005- ... 2006_x.htm

[BO]

It is from a USA Today article yesterday:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005- ... 2006_x.htm

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Hegel', 'V')ery good news.

[BO]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') also think it has to do with the ever increasing use of 'Gift Cards'. Most of the older folks I know just find it easier to give out Wal Mart cards or cash. My dad wouldn't have a clue what to get any of his grandkids, so one trip to Wal mart takes care of all that.

[duke3522]

I also think it has to do with the ever increasing use of 'Gift Cards'. Most of the older folks I know just find it easier to give out Wal Mart cards or cash. My dad wouldn't have a clue what to get any of his grandkids, so one trip to Wal mart takes care of all that.

Also, since my son is now grown and will soon be leaving for the navy, my DW and I decided to wait until after Christmas to buy each other gifts. That way we can see if we get what we needed, or use any gift cards we recieved toward purchasing stuff we need on sale.

Gift cards, along with the Hispanic effect mentioned above, are making the week after Christmas the biggest shopping week of the year.

[Grimnir]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NiKfUrY69', 'W')almart store in Dumas Arkansas

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Shannymara', 'M')aybe (American) people's desire to consume more crap is finally getting played out. ..I've been feeling for years that some huge entity was standing over me with a huge plunger trying to cram "stuff" down my throat

[hull3551]

I dunno. I rarely buy things for Christmas anymore. I bought alpaca slippers for my wife last year (a whopping $28 ), and this year I bought her wiper blades for her car (sort of a joke, we also buy season passes to ski). To think of the video on television showing the mob scenes around the country and associated violence to buy the latest Chinese gadgetry and saving twenty bucks – maybe people are finally saying WTF is Christmas all about?

Add to this the uncertainty of fuel prices, economic volatility (yeah, the government says the economy’s doing great, but is it really true on the street?), housing prices stagnating, real-life inflation (versus what the federal government publishes), and Captain Clueless at the helm, and I think you’re going to see people revisit the meaning of Christmas and possibly consumerism in general.

As noted, after you fill your 5,000sqft. McMansion with crap bought on credit or home equity extraction, what else is there?

[TorrKing]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TommyJefferson', '
')There is only so much cheap Chinese crap a human can stuff into their house. Mine is full.

[Leanan]

There are three different TV series on American cable now where families are helped to get rid of their junk. All are quite popular, I hear. Families drowning in clutter get professional help in weeding out their possessions and organizing what's left. What's discarded is either sold at a garage sale, given to charity, or throw away. De-cluttering has become big business.

So maybe there is something to the idea that the American consumer is glutted with stuff. I know my family agreed years ago to cut back on the gift-giving.

But I suspect it's an economic issue. People are nervous. Even the luxury retailers are hurting this year; they always did well, even during the worst of the recession.

BTW, gift cards are not counted until they are used. It's the law. You can't book it as a sale until you deliver the goods, and that's not until it's redeemed.

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Torjus', 'T')he human apetite for crap is infinite

[Aqua]

I’ve been saying for years that I’m not going to celebrate Christmas but always get roped into it in some form or fashion. Even here it has become an absolutely ridiculous consumer binge all about spending money you don’t have on shite that you don’t need. Its what’s expected and if you differ in your view you’re a Scrooge.
For example I live in a city of 125000 people. In 2003 the credit union lent out around £3 million pounds sterling for Christmas and in 2004 it was £5million, I kid you not. A taxi man told me he lifted a single parent on benefits who had spent 1000 on presents for little Johnny and still had to get him his surprise present. I mean wtf.
Leanan I read an article in the Sunday papers last week that says exactly the same. Apparently bookings for Christmas in luxury hotels in Aspen are a way down on last year as well as other luxury spending. Rich people seem to be holding on to their cash.

Christmas Baah Humbug!!!

[Seadragon]

I don't know about where you guys live, but whenever development here starts going further out, the first things to go up are the massive storage units, so people can put their "stuff" in them. That's gotta be a fantastically growing business...

[Leanan]

In the grocery store this morning, I was behind a woman who had trouble paying for her stuff. She tried a couple of cards, but they were rejected because she didn' t have enough credit left. This was for groceries, mind. Stuff like milk and toilet paper. The woman looked pretty well-off - dressed better than me, with a classy haircut, etc. But she ended up having to split her purchase between two different cards to get $80 worth of groceries.

[Free]

Today, which is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year, three buslines had to be stopped in the inner city of Vienna, because the massive shopping crowds blocked them:

Newslink In German

So everything is hunky dory here! And I feel fiiiiineee!

[ozkrenske]

Leanan,

Indeed, a senior person at my place of employment (100+K in higher ed is normally considered very senior) sponged 3 lunches 2 weeks back due to literally having spent his entire pay packet and topped his credit cards only 3 days after payday.

I find this astounding.

[elroy]

(totally unrelated)
Free: I understand eingestellt means adjusted, but you said the buslines were stopped. Is this word usually understood as 'cancelled' then ?

[Free]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('elroy', '(')totally unrelated)
Free: I understand eingestellt means adjusted, but you said the buslines were stopped. Is this word usually understood as 'cancelled' then ?

[elroy]

But which is the more common meaning ? If someone says something is eingestellt, can you safely assume they mean cancelled ?

[Free]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('elroy', 'B')ut which is the more common meaning ? If someone says something is eingestellt, can you safely assume they mean cancelled ?