[fwdude]

"8. Credit card numbers that were recently released show that holiday sales have gone negative for the first time since the last recession."

I was chalking a lot of this up to the increased utilization of virtual stores shifting shoppers to online buying. But what I've seen at the shopping centers/malls has been shocking since Thanksgiving. The car traffic I've seen is about THE SAME as I've seen during the year. I'll be not at all surprised if this shopping season tanks (not that we'll be allowed to hear about it.)

[Neidermeyer]

Same observations here in FL. No exuberance at all...

[Cecily]

I noticed the same thing this past Saturday. I had to do some shopping at a popular mall in the early afternoon, but there were no crowds or lines anywhere. I was expecting long lines so close to Christmas.