[I_Like_Plants]

I'm going to forecast that the return lines at your local emporium, whether Wal-Mart or Nieman-Marcus, will be longer than the checkout lines, and that much of the supposed "boom" in Xmas shopping will turn out to have been gift cards that get spent on necessities, or items that get returned for cash.

Example: I buy my sister a set of brass candlesticks, putting them on the credit card because I somehow don't seem to have much cash on hand. Then my sister takes the candlesticks and returns them, for cash, which she needs to keep the water bill paid and get some dry milk for the kids.

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 'I')'m going to forecast that the return lines at your local emporium, whether Wal-Mart or Nieman-Marcus, will be longer than the checkout lines, and that much of the supposed "boom" in Xmas shopping will turn out to have been gift cards that get spent on necessities, or items that get returned for cash.

Example: I buy my sister a set of brass candlesticks, putting them on the credit card because I somehow don't seem to have much cash on hand. Then my sister takes the candlesticks and returns them, for cash, which she needs to keep the water bill paid and get some dry milk for the kids.

[I_Like_Plants]

You have a point about the reciepts .... a lot of Americans DO include the reciept tucked under the wrapping or whatever...

Right-o about the pawnshops, in fact the pawns were already being flooded with stuff.

[Tyler_JC]

Of course the return lines are longer than the checkout lines. Lots of people get shit they don't want for Christmas and are exchanging it for something better. This isn't new.

I rarely hear about people giving the receipt along with the gift but I'm sure that some people do it (as tactless as it may be).

Everyone on this website predicted a complete collapse in consumer spending this holiday season and as it turns, they were wrong...again. Spending was up a disappointing but not apocalyptic 2.4%.

[frankthetank]

Most gifts we give and receive have "gift receipts" with them. Must be a midwest thing, but i think its pretty common.

[I_Like_Plants]

Considering that culturally, the Midwest covers most of the USA, I'd say it's a US thing

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'S')pending was up a disappointing but not apocalyptic 2.4%.

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'S')pending was up a disappointing but not apocalyptic 2.4%.

[Falconoffury]

If the Fed didn't bail out the banks and lower interest rates this year, we could have seen a much worse Christmas shopping season. The day of reckoning has only been pushed back, not averted.

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Falconoffury', 'I')f the Fed didn't bail out the banks and lower interest rates this year, we could have seen a much worse Christmas shopping season. The day of reckoning has only been pushed back, not averted.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', '
')We need to see a major increase in unemployment before spending drops.

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'A')nd the US population grows at around .8% a year so the per capita increase was 1.6%.

[Keith_McClary]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'A')nd the US population grows at around .8% a year so the per capita increase was 1.6%.

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'A')nd the US population grows at around .8% a year so the per capita increase was 1.6%.