[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ferretlover', 'B')etter shop now. This morning on CNN, a reporter appearing in the 'Retail Detail' segment, stated that "it was projected that another 73,000 stores were expected to go out of business the first six months of 2009." (I did not hear her source for this data.)

[bratticus]

I stood in the withering remains of Linens and Things. Didn't buy anything.

[flash width=425 height=344]http://www.youtube.com/v/lKxl0h-kU-U[/flash]

[Blacksmith]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('GASMON', ' ')Unfortunate but so much is made these days that is uneconomic / impossible to repair. The "throw away society".

[Minvaren]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ferretlover', 'B')etter shop now. This morning on CNN, a reporter appearing in the 'Retail Detail' segment, stated that "it was projected that another 73,000 stores were expected to go out of business the first six months of 2009." (I did not hear her source for this data.)

[Lanthanide]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', 'W')hen was the last time you've met a repairman? Not just a vacuum repairman but ANY type?
Exactly
They don't exist in this economy save for perhaps an auto repairman.
Our economy is based on the assumption that consumers will buy a new product every 3 years so a repairman is pretty much as extinct as a Dodo bird.
PO may change that but that can be saved for another topic.
//
As for Seattle, it was snowing so I stayed indoors.
Most of the time it does not snow here so when it does the city shuts down and everybody doesn't know what to do except for of course stay indoors.
I'm pretty certain the retailers in Seattle had a sour Christmas.

[tex123]

Went to J.C. Penny yesterday and it wasn't any more or less full than a typical Tuesday. Everything was marked down quite a bit. I had to return a shirt (wrong size) and ended up getting the same shirt for about $12.00 less than what I bought it for on black Friday when all the BIG sales were going on.

On the subject of retailers closing I have a funny feeling about Sears.

[Quinny]

Been out and about buying things and my main impression is that there are very few 'really' good deals. Everything is marked Sale price, but you often see buy 2 get x% off etc which is 1/2 the discount even if you buy 2.

Most of the shops seem very low on stock as well.

Not to do with the sales, but I've just been to Morrisons where I don't normally shop. I was going to buy a dozen eggs, but they were absolutely tiny, looked at the XL eggs, and they were not that big either. Can't wait to get my own chickens.

[cipi604]

Happy New Year for my fellow forumists, I wish you more oil than ever in 2009, and may the entropy stop for a second between this years.


Moved to Open.-FL

[Ronin]

Happy New Year. Good luck in the next time around the sun.

[some_math_guy]

I saw no 'amazing sales' this holiday season. I think this was one of the busiest, craziest holiday shopping seasons ever - at least in Canada.

I had to laugh, Walmart actually advertised CRAZY BOXING DAY PRICES before xmas but when I checked it out, about the only thing on sale was VHS movies for 2.99...yes VHS movies!!!

I think retailers took advantage of the 'Recession!' media rambling to project the image of Low LOW prices and promote over-consumption this holiday season. Retailers are loathe to drop prices (especially around xmas when everyone overspends anyways) because it's often harder to make the same revenue than if you did nothing. If you do the math, it's clear that when the loss in revenue from lower prices is greater than the revenue from increased sales, the retailer still takes a loss. Eg. If you drop prices by 20%, you have to sell 20% more stuff to make the same money as you would by doing nothing. Plus...there's more inventory left to sell in January.

I think most retailers are just holding on tight and hoping for the best.

Business. As. Usual.

[ROCKMAN]

I think it is just a matter of waiting for the real bargain days. We old farts (58 yo) went through the oil price spike recession of the early 80's and it did not completly manefest itself in a few months. It actually took a couple of years to bottom out. Given that almost all economic indicators are still going south I would make a WAG that we're at least 12 months from hitting the bottom. If so it will be amazing to see what the retail market looks like next Christmas. Or, at least, what's left of it.

[RedStateGreen]

Happy new year!

[Narz]

Health & happiness to everyone here & their loved ones.

[steam_cannon]

A joke:

Q. What's a good New Years resolution for a tree? [spoil]
A. To turn over a new leaf!


Happy New Year![/spoil]

[PenultimateManStanding]

Happy New Year? This new year is going to suck big time. Bad beyond belief. Zombies on parade. Economic collapse. Riots, chaos, mayhem. You'll wish you were never born.

[AlexdeLarge]

Happy New Year !!

JibJab - 2008 Year In Review

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'H')appy New Year? This new year is going to suck big time. Bad beyond belief. Zombies on parade. Economic collapse. Riots, chaos, mayhem. You'll wish you were never born.

[RedStateGreen]

Went to the super wal-mart the day before Thanksgiving to pick up a few food items, have not been to a store since.

But we went out to lunch at a restaurant today and it was jam-packed. Good food, though.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'H')appy New Year? This new year is going to suck big time. Bad beyond belief. Zombies on parade. Economic collapse. Riots, chaos, mayhem. You'll wish you were never born.