Posted on 12/04/2009 7:49:58 AM PST by MaestroLC
The hordes of Black Friday shoppers weren't enough to save retailers from dispiriting November sales, according to company data released Thursday.
About 30 national chains reported monthly sales at established stores on Thursday, a key measure of the industry's health. Several chains, including Costco and J.C. Penney, performed worse than analysts expected. Retailers said that unseasonably warm weather dampened sales at the beginning of the month. In addition, shoppers saved their cash for post-Thanksgiving deals.
"It was a month that disappointed us and, I think, the industry," said Michael Niemira, chief economist for the International Council of Shopping Centers, a trade group.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I have indeed noticed, and I live in an affluent area to boot.
Congress and President Obama are proposing a government program the would ‘rescue’ the retail industry.
1)A retail Czar would mandate that consumers spend 25% of their income on black Friday.
2)The Czar would determine which store a consumer could spend.
3) There would be a penalty for NOT spending because X-mas shopping is a moral right.
4) Those that could not afford to shop would be given government vouchers.
sarc//
I’ve noticed more “Deals” coming in my email from restaurants. Buy one get one offers, buy a gift card and get $10.00 of your next meal etc.
Smokey-Bones BBQ sent me one “All The Meat You Can Eat”. Babyback ribs for $15.99.
Figured we won’t be dining out in the future so I took full advantage of their offer. I hurt ‘em...........bad, real bad. To the point of I’m surprised they’re still in business bad.
Traffic at stores was awful here. But, the economy is largely dependent upon location.
We’re IN a depression, the only question is how long is it going to last. It will last until something changes. FDR managed to convince the folks that it wasn’t his fault. Can this one do the same? If so we could be in for a long, long winter, like the white witch created in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
It will still be down a decent amount. But the thing is, people were going to get their bargains and that’s it.
It isn’t like they got a lot of stuff, just the thing they wanted and left.
Compared to last year, I noticed some of the deals weren’t as good. There were still some good ones, but I noticed the discounts on items like like external hard drives were almost identical to last year, not much better.
I got a pay cut this year, so even though I am no longer worried about losing my job near as much, I still am not going nuts buying stuff.
We bought most of our Christmas presents through a special sale we noticed in August at the Mardel store.
Maybe we need to have a Red Friday going out of business holiday.
I remember my hometown in Kansas always had articles to the opposite effect growing up...
“Despite national trends, local retailers are having a great Christmas season etc.”
They never seemed to have any problems.
I bet this year is different, though my dad is an electrician and he hasn’t really lost work at all despite the recession. Normally, he misses out on some work in a poor eeconomy. No problem at all this year.
Not unless you hide the item in the store or something as I have heard some people do. But, you can’t very well do that with some items.
Also, I have found many websites offer the same price as in the store (not very often, but sometimes).
And by awful I mean massive lines at the mall, can’t find a parking space etc.
Not awful as in slow. Quite the opposite.
Wow, what a throwback. I remember that show. Always really interesting plots like that.
7:00 A.M. Macy’s on Black Friday - Three clerks helping me buy two pair of boots. Mall not busy at all.
“Snort, LOL!!”
RobRoy, you have to show this one to your wife. It's a chick thang. LOL
“Towanda”
Two thoughts:
1. The BF sales items/prices advertised weren’t very compelling to my circle of family and friends.
2. If they’re so desperate, extend the doorbuster deadlines until noon. I hate the 5am nonsense. If you want our money, make it easy for us. I’ve been told at noon that its too late for that sales price. I laugh and say its their lost sale.
I’m in the Seattle area. We are supposed to still be “hot”.
This year “traffic” didn’t always come down to “traffic” either. To give one example: The FRy’s parking lot was completely full. The store was packed. People were coming and going in droves.
However, a lot of people were leaving without buying anything and a lot of small items were being sold (I was buying a $5 cable). Most importantly, there was no line at checkout, and several of their cashier stations were not manned. I didn’t count like I did at best buy though.
I do think it is all about what part of the country you’re in. However, it is also true that if people are going to the malls to “people watch” or buying less than last year, it can “look” like things are popping when they aren’t.
Are you kidding me? That is a classic with which we are both VERY familiar. ;)
We quote it all the time (I’m old and I have insurance)
I LOVE THAT MOVIE!!!!! LOL Thanks!!!
:)
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