The holiday season is upon us once again. Winter weather is swooping in, sweaters are in style, and retailers are starting to lick their chops. Yes, November and December have historically been the two busiest consumer spending months of the year, except for this year? With the U.S. quickly diving into an economic recession, Americans maybe tightening their belts and leaving the retailers to starve.
According to "BusinessWeek", this sales season is predicted to be "one of the ugliest in decades". Strangely, this is not surprising. In fact, you might even say it's expected. For months now we have seen, heard, and read about the delicate state of our economy. Talks of the second great depression, a wall street bailout, and foreclosures have caused shoppers to deposit money instead of withdrawing it. Even U.S. Automakers are feeling the heat, and are literally begging congress for a bailout of their own. Ironically, the lack of consumer spending is one of the reasons the economy is in the shape it's in. Everybody wants it fixed , yet nobody's willing to pay the bill. Talk about a "catch-22". On a lighter note, the recent gasoline price decline could help absorb some of the spending phobia, causing shoppers to dish out a few more dollars then they had originally planned.
The sad part in all of this? Everything. It's tough for folks all around. Disappointing for parents who cant afford to buy gifts, and devastating to children who will wake up on the 25th to news that "Santa" couldn’t deliver. Tally one up for the Grinch this Christmas.
4 comments:
The article “Mr. Grinch” is sad, but unfortunately true. This year people have been spending less. The public and average families are able to save a few dollars by going to thrift stores. Will those few dollars that are saved be spent on extra traveling, because of dropping gas prices? If people go on trips this Christmas year they will spend money along the way, either on souvenirs or presents, maybe both.
One can only pray that this economic crisis will end soon, even though it probably wont. A mess like the one that the United States is in took years to happen and it will take a long time to make a comeback.
AIG and several banks have been rescued by the government. The “big three” auto makers are begging congress for money to get them through the next couple of months. The whole U.S. is suffering right down to the last mouse that the Grinch took the last crumb from. We all hope it will get better.
In Roman’s blog, “Mr. Grinch”, he describes this holiday shopping season as being predicted to be the worst in decades, especially on Black Friday. He says this prediction is not surprising due to all the talk of the second great depression, the Wall Street bailout, and foreclosures. He then goes on to describe how one of the main reasons the economy is in the shape it is, is because of the lack of consumer spending.
Before Black Friday I would have completely agreed with Roman’s prediction, however reports showed that this year’s Black Friday had an even better turnout than last year! I thought this was very ironic with the economy being the way it is. Perhaps it’s because of the enormous drop in gas prices. On the other hand perhaps it was because retailers were dropping their prices even lower than they typically would any other year to try and draw more of a crowd. Whatever the reason may have been I am glad to see that not everyone out there has completely turned into a Grinch this holiday season even under these hard times.
It would seem that the rumors are true the Grinch did steal Christmas this year. In the article “Mr. Grinch” the author makes some good points, with the decline in consumer demand where will that leave our economy. There is just not enough shoppers buying gifts for girls and boys and it is destroying our commercial economy, and from the looks of things I don’t think much is going to change. I mean sure, gas prices are lower, which means we can drive a lot more. But where are we driving to on Christmas with no gifts? Everyone is too frightened to buy gifts and splurge on family and friends because when the big hit comes they do not want to be un-prepared. So, they will scratch a few items from the grocery list and thin out their child’s Christmas list in order to have a little more extra cash to put in there cookie jar in case of a rainy day. The Grinch (Bush) thought it a good idea to spend everyone Christmas on war because that’s where it’s all really going. All the money that stabilizes our economy Bush thought a good idea to fund a futile attempt at “freeing” a nation who controls huge amount of the worlds’ oil. So, Bush hands out refund checks and pretends in will be okay and then when the big hit comes like what is currently here at least he will know he “tried”. In my straight opinion I think we pay for the mistake of an arrogant egotistical megalomaniac, and now we have to be strong for what’s to come because if we are going to make it we are going to make it knowing that gas is what got us into this in the first place. So, to end:
You're a monster, Mr. Grinch,
Your heart's an empty hole,
Your brain is full of spiders, you have garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch,
I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot gasoline hose!
HOLIDAY SEASON CRISIS, I THINK NOT
In Roman's Blog, "Mr. Grinch", he stated that this holiday season no one was going to spend any money and the 2nd Great Depression is upon us. That's a bunch of crap because no matter what people are going to spend money. Jobs may be scarce and money tight but either way they are going to spend. This Black Friday was a better turnout than last year. As a sales person myself, I can relate, people want to be bought. Anybody can sell a discount and that is what is happening. Discounts are everywhere! The only people suffering is people who got laid off, lost their job, or people with kids in college. People are tighter on their purse strings trying to stay away from unneccesary buying but like this asian nail salon owner said, "No matter how late people are on their bills woman are still going to get their hair done, nails done and look good." Even if they are using their welfare checks or child support checks, lol.
Post a Comment