Thread: holiday sales slumps

As a retired person on fixed income I watch my dollar really no choice, but in truth I'm more concerned about the younger folks trying to have a disappearing American dream. Outsourcing,loss of most manufacturing, unfair trade practices, government spreading money throughout the world to buy friends and working to be the worlds police force on top of all this we import millions of poor under educated people from everywhere, it is in my opinion a recipe for disaster.

The hispanics in Atlanta were out in full force spending cash on junk. They seem to have plenty of extra money.

They were at Best Buy, Home Depot, Walmart , and all of the malls.

Originally Posted by jjmm

While top luxury stores like Saks Fifth Avenue continue to do well, merchants that cater to middle and lower income shoppers have suffered as consumers struggle with higher gas and food prices as well as a slumping housing market.

This is a quote from a yahoo article today.

Seems they are saying the rich are getting richer, and the poor, and middle class, are getting poorer. Any surprises here?

Don't forget exhorbitant taxes, also, that the middle class is paying to support illegal aliens, who in turn buy up all the goods here and ship them home ..or wire the cash home they earn from the big business folks who hire them; and, at the same time, use welfare services to get by, at our expense.

I make ok money as a nurse and am the lesser breadwinner, but I pay about $900 a month about of my paycheck EVERY MONTH. That is NUTS. If I had it to spend, I would ..but now the rest of the paycheck is needed to cover the basics -- housing, gas, and food. I don't HAVE any disposable income, at all. Just pocket change. And my husband and I together make a six figure income!!

Our largest expenses: housing, food, childcare, education, gas, and insurance. Once we pay all these off, we're broke for the month. I can't even afford Target!! We do live on the most expensive east coast, but still, the tax bill is really out of control.

We are also trying to rent a home we can't sell, almost can't even find a renter for it. There are NO people out there willing to rent your house, either. If we dont' rent our house, we will be strapped with TWO very overpriced. mortgages.

I hope these retailers and economists just STEW if holiday sales are in a slump. Dammit, why do they think they're in a slump?? We're all being taxed to death!!

So, how much is the rent, and what part of the East Coast is it located in?

I must say, this doesn't sound right. I may not be middle or upper class, but I learned how to live within my means. You can't have champagne taste on a beer budget.

We are making, for the last 7 or 8 years, twice what we were making in the late 70's and early 80's.

In the earlier time, we had 3 kids to raise - yet we managed to have a lot of 'spending money'.

Now it's just two old geezers, and we are far from dire straits, but there isn't nearly as much 'spending money' as there was back then.

It's the younger ones I worry about.

Originally Posted by Disillusioned

I think the other reason there is a slump is that people don't want to buy gifts that are made in China. I know I don't. I am thankful that I don't really need to buy toys. All the kids in our family are older. I am trying my best to buy gifts that are made in the USA. It's a challenge. After looking long and hard I found a wristwatch for my husband that is American made with Swiss parts. That was the best I could do with a watch.

As for the cost factor, we have cut way back on spending. Like everyone else, we just don't have nearly as much disposable income as we've had in the past.

We are definitely scaling back this Xmas. Gas and food too high to leave
much "disposable income".

My daughter has started buying at the Goodwill stores. Thats one way
to make sure no new dollars go to China or greedy corporations that
outsource American jobs! Im going to check out Goodwill. I think thats
a great idea and I am proud of her!!

I have walked away this year from any new Xmas lights or ornaments
because I just cant hold my nose tight enough to bring in anymore
"made in China" labels. Being selective also serves to cut out a lot
of impulse buying!!!

Computer games and big screen TVs should be definately out. Since times are hard anyway, let's hit em where it really hurts! Make your gifts, don't buy a bloody thing other than for making your own. Labor of love is the way to go and will give you more satisfaction from the gift of giving and will enhance your holiday spirit. If you think this sounds too troublesome and corney..then I would urge you to try it..its a great feeling!

we the consumer hold the key(purse/billfold) to turn America around,
selective buying may cause some short term pain but in the end can
help the country.

I watched the news yesterday that was reporting on the packed malls in spite of economic fears. Some stores in S Calif opened at 4:00 am yesterday! Some camped all night and did not have Thanksgiving dinner so they could be FIRST in line for the bargains. Nearly all were hispanic. One woman was so aggressive, she pretty much said she would attach anyone who tried to get in front of her! I was disappointed that the stores were going to do that well. I'm like you folks. I want people to keep their money and make the businesses suffer because of their China connection! Maybe S Calif with all our illegals who seem to have money to spend is not representative of the rest of the nation. Hope not!

Stores in my area opened their doors after Thanksgiving at 12 midnight, and alot were opening at 4 a.m. for sales. I would rather do my shopping on-line than go out into that mess. I hope sales do poorly because of all the crap imported from China. Maybe that will wake the idiots up in D.C.

Almost every single item I wanted to give to my granddaughter is now "Made in China". I have found other toys and stuffed animals on websites that claim their products are made in the USA, but none of the toys are what I had in mind. My kids grew up with a Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit stuffed animal that played "Here Comes Peter Cottontail..., but the only one I found was in the U.K. When I wrote to them to ask if it was "made in China", they wrote back and said yes, unfortunately everything is "made in China". I am really disapointed. I had my heart set on that stuffed bunny. It makes me sad.

Yes, it really is sad!!! Everything I had in mind was made in China...and these were not toys... but I am doing my best not to buy anthing made in China.

If we don't put our foot down... they will continue to feed us the same old BS...and nothing will ever change...but rather THEIR (corporations greed) agenda will grow...and in the end we will have lost our country and our childrens and grandchildrens futures. We will have to sacrafice in order to make change. These DIRTY CORPORATIONS should pay dearly this Christmas season for their BETRAYAL to the American people!!!!!
They could care less if they endanger our children or our society as a whole. They only care about the bottom line!!!! I hope this season puts a BIG DENT in their profits!!!!!!!!!!!