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Black Friday gobbles up Thanksgiving

November 21, 2012 by 5 Comments
The First Thanksgiving, painting by Jean Louis...

The First Thanksgiving, painting by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It might be more than just a matter of consumer gluttony.

“There are reasons why we are the last superpower left,” said Scott Testa, a marketing consultant and former marketing professor from the Philadelphia area. “It’s because we are a democracy and because of our economic strength. It’s part of our DNA as Americans. Your typical American loves to shop.”

Power of conformity

“Retail Creep” is not a new phenomenon.

Blue laws prevented stores from opening Sundays for religious reasons. Most of the laws have been repealed, yet the sale of alcohol is still prohibited on Sundays in many places.

A fundamental cultural shift may facilitate the creeping consumerism.

“There are no barriers,” Testa said. “I am absolutely convinced you will see retailers in the future that simply require less people, less cashiers. Technology will do a couple of things; e-commerce will continue to grow, and physical retailers through technology will be able to operate with less people today. I would not be shocked if you see the Wal-Marts and Targets of the world open all day Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121121/NEWS/211210310/-1/NEWS01

 

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Quoted – The holiday shopping season keeps on ringing – Houston Chronicle

December 30, 2009 by 13 Comments
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The holiday shopping season keeps on ringing

For retailers, this week and next are expected to bring strong customer traffic as consumers hunt for discounts.

Nationally, retailers saw a 2.3 increase sales for the week ending Dec. 26 compared with last year, according to a report released Tuesday by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs.

Gift cards

Many consumers are in stores this week using gift cards they got for Christmas.

Retailers like gift cards because they drive customer traffic and people often spend more than the value of the card once they’re in the store, said Scott Testa, professor of business at Cabrini College near Philadelphia.

Consumers regularly lose gift cards, he noted, which also benefits a chain’s bottom line.

“My advice to consumers is use it or lose it,” Testa said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6791488.html

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Quoted – Could an Apple ‘iPad’ Make E-Readers Irrelevant? – Macnewsworld.com

December 20, 2009 by 16 Comments
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Quoted – Could an Apple ‘iPad’ Make E-Readers Irrelevant? –  Macnewsworld.com

Rumor has it Apple’s begun shopping a tablet computer — or “iPad,” as it’s been unofficially dubbed — to publishers. Would Apple’s entry into the e-book market spell doom for the Kindle, Nook and Daily Edition? Or is it more likely that an iPad might be a nice device for everything but books?

Rumors that Apple has been approaching major publishers about a content distribution deal suggest it is well-poised to make a disruptive play in the e-reader field, suggested Scott Testa, a professor of business at Cabrini College.

“I think Apple has the potential to do what they have with smartphones and music to the publishing industry,” Testa told MacNewsWorld.

One major hurdle could be standing in its way, if the rumor mills are right: The projected high cost of the Apple device could be a barrier to adoption for many enthusiastic consumers.

Unlike an iPhone, which can be had for as little as $99 up front, or a Kindle, with a base price of $259, the rumored iPad could involve an investment of $600 or more — and it could carry ongoing fees for data access, according to many reports.

“It goes from a great Christmas gift to a luxury item,” remarked Testa.

http://www.macnewsworld.com/rsstory/68932.html

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Quoted – Sales rise, retailers optimistic – The Chronicle

December 6, 2009 by 5 Comments

Sales rise, retailers optimistic

By LOU WILIN

Retailers report stronger Black Friday sales this year than last year and they are cautiously optimistic about the rest of the Christmas season.

“So far, so good,” said Debbi Baker, store manager of Christopher & Banks, a women’s clothing store at Findlay Village Mall. “My Black Friday was better (than last year’s).”

David Lazar, store manager of Elder-Beerman at the mall, was cheerier.

“We are happy. We are very, very happy,” with Elder-Beerman’s sales numbers last weekend, he said.

National and regional research companies reported slight sales increases last weekend from a year ago.

In Ottawa, Walmart Manager Shane Sidle is patient.

“Things have been steady, steady with last year,” he said. Sales will probably strengthen in the 10 days before Christmas, Sidle said.

“The last couple of years, that is how it has been,” he said.

The recession has lowered retailers’ sales expectations, and rightly so.

“Consumers are very leery about spending money over the holidays,” said Scott Testa, business administration professor at Cabrini College, Radnor, Pa.

Retailers are coping by spreading out the shopping season. Christopher & Banks at the mall got its Christmas season inventory in early November, three weeks earlier than usual, said Baker, the manager. She even got resort wear, outfits women will wear on trips in the next season. Baker does not usually see those until mid-December.

“They kind of bulked me up, and whatever I have got, it has to go,” she said.

In Fostoria, Kmart Assistant Manager Bridget Weslow said the store’s layaway policy “is what is keeping people coming in.”

Testa said people this year are seeking more practical gifts, like tires, tools and car wax instead of, say, jewelry.

But flat screen TVs and video game systems are still hot items, Sidle said.

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Quoted – How to Get the Biggest Savings this Holiday Season – Denver Post

November 25, 2009 by 12 Comments
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Stores are stocking less inventory this holiday season, so Traci Lunsford decided to start her shopping last month.

“I will receive the bill in November and have it paid off by December,” says the Thornton resident, who has been using coupons and daily deals from Upromise.com to help curtail her holiday spending.

Marketing experts say zealous coupon clippers and tenacious bargain hunters such as Lunsford will reap the greatest savings this holiday season.

But they also warn that shoppers are unlikely to find the usual last-minute price cuts in the days before Christmas.

Why? To compensate for soft sales throughout the past year, retailers are keeping inventories low to prevent stock from languishing on shelves. Black Friday and Cyber Monday — the weekdays immediately after Thanksgiving — promise shoppers the deepest discounts.

“The more expensive the item . . . the more open the store will be to negotiating,”says Scott Testa, a business-administration professor at Cabrini College in Philadelphia.

“Consumers have nothing to lose,” he adds. “If you have money to spend, you will get as good a deal as you will ever see.”

Wal-Mart and Best Buy both advertise price-matching. To take advantage of it, shoppers should arm themselves with mailers and inserts before hitting the stores.

“Bring your laptop into the store,” Testa says. “Show them the ad you found on Amazon with a $999 price compared to their $1,050 and ask them if there is something they can do for you.”

http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_13835889

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20091125/ARTICLES/911209864/1008?Title=How-to-get-the-biggest-savings-this-holiday-shopping-season

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091127/LIFE/911270302

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