Real Christmas

The must have electronic gizmo for 2009 will be much the same as it was in 2008: the Blu Ray high definition player. The difference between Christmas last year and Christmas yet to come will be an entry level price below $100 — thanks to the Chinese.

The Blu Ray Disc Association reports that in order to induce Chinese manufacturers to make the units they had to not only share the technology but also had to create a licensing format which would provide them the edge on the low end of the retail price scale.

These new low end players could be leading to the speculation surrounding Sony’s Playstation 3, which has been rumored for a while to be dropping it’s price by as much as $150 before the 2009 holiday season.

In a down economy, these fast moves in a hot format are sure to make Black Friday a more predictable event.

Christmas 2009 got off to a big bang in retailing as the singular hot channel of video gaming has charged with rumors that GameStop has been asked by Nintendo to save major shelf space for a new product release. While Nintendo isn’t saying anything many are hoping for a new release in their Zelda franchise.

There is also a lot of buzz over the potential reduced retail prices in popular game systems — with the Wii targeted now at $199 and the much-rumored reduction in Sony’s PS3 to $299 a possibility.

The nation’s retailers got a much-needed sales boost during Black Friday’s traditional shopathon as consumers, lured by deep discounts, spent nearly 3 percent more than they did last year.

Sales on the day after Thanksgiving rose to $10.6 billion, according to preliminary figures released Saturday by ShopperTrak RCT Corp., a Chicago-based research firm that tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets.

Last year, shoppers spent about $10.3 billion on the day after Thanksgiving, dubbed Black Friday because it was historically the sales-packed day when retailers would become profitable for the year.

While it isn’t a predictor of overall holiday season sales, Black Friday is an important barometer of people’s willingness to spend during the holidays. Last year, it was the biggest sales generator of the season.

But experts caution that this year’s sales growth may be hard to sustain for the remainder of the holiday shopping season, which has 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas instead of the 32 last year.

Still, the sales boost was surprising in light of data showing shoppers are scaling back on discretionary spending because of a recession fueled by uncertainty related to turmoil in the world’s financial and credit markets.

“Under these circumstances, to start off the season in this fashion is truly amazing and is a testament to the resiliency of the American consumer, and undeniably proves a willingness to spend,” ShopperTrak co-founder Bill Martin said in a statement.

Across the country, sales in the South were up 3.4 percent from last year while they climbed 2.6 percent in the Northeast as shoppers began scouring store aisles at midnight hoping to snag the best selection on early morning specials.

Patty Saal, 60, of Mogadore, Ohio, began her Black Friday shopping at 5 a.m. when she and her daughters went to a Sam’s Club to purchase iPods.

“We’re doing fine,” she said.

Fifth grade teacher Daphna Stepen, 42, spent Black Friday hunting for deals inside Macy’s and at the Limited Too clothing store and headed out again on Saturday. The Chicago resident said she was surprised by the discounts as well as how many coupons she’d received from stores, which helped her save even more money on already marked-down items.

“You can get almost 40 percent off stuff if you work the coupons,” she said.

Separately on Saturday, J.C. Penney Co. Inc. said business was strong in its sites across the country as customers responded to sales. Some of the department store’s best sellers were smaller electronic gadgets and practical gifts, such as sweaters, boots, coats and luggage.

But the chain said it wouldn’t provide specific sales figures.

“In light of the challenging and volatile economic climate, and shifts in this year’s retail calendar, we don’t believe that reporting sales data for any one day (or weekend), including Black Friday, would provide a meaningful barometer of our business,” the Plano, Texas company said in a statement released Saturday afternoon.

London’s West End has been awarded the title of best shopping destination in the inaugural European Retail Rankings by Experian.

The district beat off stiff competition from fashionable locations such as Paris, Rome, Madrid and Berlin to take the top spot.

Experian expects the West End to attract 6.17 billion euros (£5.2 billion) of spending in 2008, although it points out that economic troubles could threaten the area’s position at the top of the rankings next year.

The West End also faces local competition in the shape of the new Westfield shopping centre, which was opened in Shepherds Bush on October 30th.

Indeed, the Telegraph reports that the number of consumers visiting Oxford Street, Regent Street, South Molton Street and Bond Street fell by a quarter in the week after Westfield opened its doors compared to the same week the year before.

Red Letter Days offers a number of shopping experiences for those who fancy treating themselves to a spot of retail therapy or doing some shopping for unusual Christmas gifts.

Selecting the right Christmas presents can be exhausting and perplexing! Choosing to send a gift hamper is the ideal solution for Christmas presents and gifts for all adult members of the family, friends or work colleagues. Trudging round the shops becoming cold, tired and exasperated is becoming a thing of the past as more and more people are choosing to shop on-line.

On-line shopping offers great choices, gift packing and delivery right up to the week leading up to the Christmas holiday straight to your home or directly to the recipient of the gift without hassle and stress.

The Christmas tradition of sending wicker hampers and baskets crammed full of treats and goodies is seeing a huge revival in the UK. Christmas hampers are now available in a variety of different styles and designs each containing high quality products. The days of receiving a hamper full of food that no one eats are long gone, today the contents of hampers are carefully selected to bring traditional and unusual indulgences and treats from both local and international producers providing a gift which is delightful to both receive and send.

Themed Christmas hampers are seeing a whole new approach to addressing the problems of differences in individual tastes and eating habits to ensure there is a hamper to suit all preferences. Christmas hampers offer exceptional value for money with the wide range of sizes available.

Designed to treat individuals, a mini cheese hamper makes the ideal gift for singles of all ages, a wicker basket containing a bottle of port, two different quality cheeses and oatcakes makes a real change from night dresses or pyjamas! Once the goodies have been eaten the delightful basket provides a useful gift to treasure.

Uncles and men of sophistication will be overjoyed receiving a bottle of Special Reserve port and a ceramic jar containing Blue Stilton cheese to savour in the evenings rather than a pair of socks or a tie!

The perfect Christmas hampers for couples of all ages to share provides a taste of Christmas in traditional and contemporary gourmet goodies. Presented in a traditional lidded wicker basket and crammed full of sweet and savoury nibbles, slices of smoked salmon, white Stilton with juicy apricots, rich Christmas pudding with a choice of traditional brandy butter or contemporary chocolate fudge sauce to drizzle over the top and a bottle of fine wine to make a complete supper or lunch for two. Alternatively a striking wicker basket containing a variety of luxury treats, a bottle of both red and white wine, English afternoon tea and Columbia Arabica coffee, cakes and biscuits offers an exciting combination of tasty treats to share.

For those who prefer not to give alcohol as a gift the ideal Christmas hampers to have delivered is crammed full of luxury tasty treats and chocolates and also includes Christmas chutneys to accompany cold meats and cheeses for supper or Boxing Day lunch all beautifully presented in a red wicker and sea grass basket.

Sears Holdings Corp. is bringing layaway back to its namesake stores next week, nearly two decades after it was scrapped, after seeing a strong response to the pay-as-you-go plan at its Kmart locations.

The move comes as shoppers look for ways to save money during what’s expected to be the worst holiday shopping season in decades.

Layaway will be available beginning Sunday in virtually all Sears departments except home appliances and home electronics, following the success of the reinvigorated program at the company’s discount chain.

“Going into the holiday season with the economic uncertainties we all face, we just wanted to be very mindful and attentive and help support our customers,” said Sears chief marketing officer Don Hamblen.

Kmart has maintained the program for decades, but began promoting the option for the first time in years late last month. So far executives, who declined to release specific figures, called the results “tremendous.”

Layaway, which has its roots in the Great Depression, was largely eclipsed in the past two decades as economic prosperity grew and consumers lined their wallets with credit cards. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. discontinued the practice in 2006, citing falling demand and rising costs, leaving the option at a smattering of discount chains, independent retailers and Web sites. Since 1989, Sears had offered the option only for fine jewelry purchases.

When Kmart began promoting layaway three weeks ago, some experts scoffed at the idea, saying it might resonate with the company’s budget-conscious shoppers, but likely wouldn’t take roots throughout the rest of the retail sector.

Since then, the nation’s economy has only gotten worse. And now, some experts say other retailers may be eyeing the strategy with renewed interest.

“This is a tool that people are going to use quite heavily this Christmas in those stores that have it available,” said George Rosenbaum, chairman of retail consulting firm Leo J. Shapiro and Associates. “And then retailers will see whether this was a great thing they missed and whether they should install it next year.”

Sears’ new layaway program will be available on everything from clothing and toys to tools and home fitness equipment on items bought for Christmas. The items must be picked up no later than Dec. 23.

Executives at the Hoffman Estates-based company said they expect to extend the program if it proves to be a success.

Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation, said layaway accounts for just a small fraction of overall retail transactions and doubts other large chains will add the option — at least right now.

“But with economic conditions the way they are, it really is going to be creativity and heavy discounts and unique promotions that get consumers into stores,” she said.

Conventional wisdom dictates that retailers on the brink use peak holiday shopping periods to raise much needed cash before opting for bankruptcy. But in these days of stalled credit a few firms are rumored to be toying with the bankruptcy option before Christmas.

Credit ratings have dropped and anxious analysts are especially watching the following retailers for signs of bankruptcy activity: Circuit City, Gottschalks, Eddie Bauer, Claires, Guitar Center, Lohemann’s, and Oriental Trading Company.

What does this mean for shoppers?

It can mean two things: get ready for deals — and don’t buy their gift cards. This Christmas is quickly turning into a retailer death watch with the recent passing of Mervyn’s and Linens ‘n Things.