Holiday Shopping Poll

[neirbod]

I went shopping over the weekend, and again last night. I was suprised to see how few people were out and buying. Some of the smaller retailers seemed particularly nervous and aggressive - I was nearly accosted a couple of times by those guys in the little kiosks at the mall. I live in the Washington DC area, where wages and job security are realtively very high. It got me wondering, and scared, as to what is happening elsewhere.

I'd be curious to know what others are observing. If it is as bad as what I'm seeing, I may jump to G earlier than I had planned.

Dave

neirbod wrote:
I went shopping over the weekend, and again last night. I was suprised to see how few people were out and buying. Some of the smaller retailers seemed particularly nervous and aggressive - I was nearly accosted a couple of times by those guys in the little kiosks at the mall. I live in the Washington DC area, where wages and job security are realtively very high. It got me wondering, and scared, as to what is happening elsewhere.

I'd be curious to know what others are observing. If it is as bad as what I'm seeing, I may jump to G earlier than I had planned.

Dave

Do my shopping online, don't know............:^

M

I like to snoop around too. About every third store is closed here.

Recession 101. No lines anywhere at 1pm on a Saturday was able to park 50 feet from the main entrance.

Talked to people at Starbucks and three months ago they would have 500-600 customers a day. Now they are down to half that, on a good day, and they cut one position due to slowing demand.

One thing I can say is everyone is using credit cards.

MarketTimer wrote:
One thing I can say is everyone is using credit cards.
Hopefully they are check cards...............

I talked to Sears, JcPenny, etc, etc...not debit cards, credit cards and they did not look the employees in the eye (I all ways ask that question) that normally means they are charging something they can not pay off.

:P Crazy economics but I like to get out there and snoop around.

[Brewnet]

I live in the west and experienced just the opposite. Went shopping at one store and the checkout lines were probably 30 people long. Just put my stuff back and went to the next superstore where the lines were only 4 people long. The traffic is thick and the whole experience made me limp back home and hide in the basement.:shock:

I think a lot of people were out at 5:30 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving scarfing up the special sales and are doing the rest of their shopping on line. I've noticed that some companies offer free shipping for orders over a certain limit.

Brewnet wrote:
I live in the west and experienced just the opposite. Went shopping at one store and the checkout lines were probably 30 people long. Just put my stuff back and went to the next superstore where the lines were only 4 people long. The traffic is thick and the whole experience made me limp back home and hide in the basement.:shock:

I think a lot of people were out at 5:30 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving scarfing up the special sales and are doing the rest of their shopping on line. I've noticed that some companies offer free shipping for orders over a certain limit.


MT lives in Hawaii, I think folks are just vacationing elsewhere. Much cheaper.......:^

Milk,

I am surrounded by cheap Europeans with their black knee socks and flip flops. Got soap?

Also, the flights from Japan are full with them coming to HI to vacation on the cheap with our dollar hitting decade lows.

Good luck!

MT

Also when the low end retailers are hurting and the auto makers can not move cars....that is reason to take a second look...coupled with these surprise increase in job claims and the spike in wholesale inventory levels.

I know we are trained to be bullish, positive, ya ya....but it feels like1999 to me again.

Good luck!

MarketTimer wrote:
Milk,

I am surrounded by cheap Europeans with their black knee socks and flip flops. Got soap?

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[neirbod]

mlk_man wrote:
MarketTimer wrote:
Milk,

I am surrounded by cheap Europeans with their black knee socks and flip flops. Got soap?

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
What's wrong with wearing black knee socks and flip flops? My mom always says I look handsome :dah: Oh, and what is thing you call "soap"?

The consumer confidence numbers just went up higher than expected. So maybe the shopping season won't be bad after all!

neirbod wrote:
mlk_man wrote:
MarketTimer wrote:
Milk,

I am surrounded by cheap Europeans with their black knee socks and flip flops. Got soap?

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
What's wrong with wearing black knee socks and flip flops? My mom always says I look handsome :dah: Oh, and what is thing you call "soap"?

The consumer confidence numbers just went up higher than expected. So maybe the shopping season won't be bad after all!
You damn Marylanders.........................:shock:

You put crediance into a survey conducted my college kids in Michigan???

The only reason the survey was for college recruitment tool 20 years ago. ThePPI, GDP and CPI (however taking food and energy-two of the normal peoples biggest expenses damaged this indicator badly) are a real gauge of what is going on.

If you have every read the survey there is a lot of room for fudging plus asurvey of 500-1000 peopleis not worth the time even following. The survey is 20 pages long...not sure if people will hang on the phone for that many questions until they just start saying everything is great. Are you done yet?

Morpheus



neirbod wrote:

mlk_man wrote:
MarketTimer wrote:
Milk,

I am surrounded by cheap Europeans with their black knee socks and flip flops. Got soap?

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
What's wrong with wearing black knee socks and flip flops? My mom always says I look handsome :dah: Oh, and what is thing you call "soap"?

The consumer confidence numbers just went up higher than expected. So maybe the shopping season won't be bad after all!