Britt Beemer
Britt Beemer
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Only a month ago, I felt we could see the first negative selling season in over 20 years, but the drop in gas prices has given consumers a newfound shopping spirit that should sustain them throughout the month of December.
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Oldsmobile demand and sales did not collapse overnight. GM sat back and watched it happen, ... Your father's car ultimately became a hearse. You've got to have product categories that are growing categories. The four-door sedan is not the growing category.
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I've never seen this many consumers not done with their Christmas shopping.
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Gift cards are becoming an easier gift to give. Of course, nobody ever returned cash, either.
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Retailers are fighting lower profits than in years past. The industry's is definitely more competitive today and companies have to do what they can to not take unnecessary markdowns.
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I won't be surprised if a day comes very soon when the customer is charged $5 for every return. On the one hand, tougher measures frustrate the consumer. But retailers also don't want to struggle with unnecessary discounts.
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I think they've got to be aggressive and to make Martha more accessible initially, ... America has got to know that she's not the same defiant Martha she was before. That's the challenge. If she can be humble through all of this, I think America will forgive her.
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This is a core product category that generates a lot of profit from sales of products and the extended service warrantees. Sears needs to protect this business at all costs.
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Electronics is particularly hot cause there is nothing else that has created much excitement for consumers. Our research indicates that 44 percent of shoppers have completed their holiday shopping and about 20 percent still have to start it. This weekend we think more dollars will be spent overall. Apparel sales could benefit form colder weather but watch out for electronics to come out on top again.
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The toy category continues to struggle, ... Our survey shows that this year 33.5 percent of weekend shoppers said they bought toys compared with 37.5 percent last year. The big surprise was electronics, which came in flat with last year at 19.7 percent. One reason for this could be that people simply couldn't find what they were looking for.
bought came category compared continues flat last looking people percent reason shows simply struggle surprise survey toy toys weekend year
The toy category continues to struggle. Our survey shows that this year 33.5 percent of weekend shoppers said they bought toys compared with 37.5 percent last year. The big surprise was electronics, which came in flat with last year at 19.7 percent. One reason for this could be that people simply couldn't find what they were looking for.
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Retail sales were pretty good, considering at the start of the season we were looking at $3 gasoline and were still recovering from the hurricanes. Consumers got out early and responded to early-bird specials, but there wasn't much new. There was no hot toy or hot apparel look.
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The success of GM's employee discount sale is a great example that consumers still are in a mood to buy. However, I think Christmas spending could be a little narrower than last year.
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Over the last couple years, chains have tried to do something different -- they're trying to give consumers a different look, a different style.