You can't say you haven't noticed - Christmas is in the air - but I feel like I'm being hit over the head with it. This is different from stories we've done about Christmas decorations being sold before Halloween. One week after Halloween, I walked into Target and found holiday decorations dangling over my head! Decorations don't bother you? Well what about the Christmas cookies I saw there too - ready to eat & ready to sell?
And it's not just in the stores, it's the ads I see and hear: IHOP hawking holiday pancakes, early Black Friday sales at places like Sears...I could go on but I know you've seen them too. I feel like I need to watch my pocket or some little elf is going to have his hand in it before I even notice. Is he greedy or desperate? I sense desperation.
Retailers are hoping people will react like me. This past weekend, I hurriedly did some holiday shopping, telling myself "it's time to go ahead and spend!". The most recent Commerce Department report showed we are spending - a little. Retail sales went up 1.4% in September, but when you exclude cars it really boils down to a weak .2% increase - far below the .9% projected by Wall Street. Some stores are doing better than others, like Kohl's, but as the past few years have proven, there's no such thing as really being secure.
My early spending - along with everyone else feeling the pressure - may help pump up numbers for November, but I hope they don't expect to push me past my budget. No, I'll snap my wallet shut before that little elfin hand gets a good grip on any big bills. With unemployment at double digits across the nation, and the housing market still on shaky ground, I don't think many will fall victim to this festive sales pitch...
