Christmas and holiday season - Shopping

Several of the religious festivals during the winter holiday season are celebrated with the exchange of gifts, and the winter holiday season thus also incorporates the "holiday shopping season". This comprises a peak season for the retail sector at the start of the holiday season (the "Christmas shopping season") and a period of sales at the end of the season is "Sales of January".STOP

Although once dedicated most prominent to distance sales, this January comprise two winters wich is nearest sales comprise the greeting card. Young-Bean Song, director of analytics at the Atlas Institute in Seattle, extended if it is a myth about holiday shopping season starts with Thanksgiving and ends with Christmas. January is a key part of the holiday season." stating that for the U.S. e-commerce sector January sales volumes matched December sales volumes in the 2004/2005 winter holiday season.

Many people find this time particularly stressful. As a remedy, and as a return to what they perceive as the root of Christmas, some practice alternative giving.




USA and Canada

In the United States, the Christmas/holiday shopping season, during which a quarter of all personal spending takes place, is traditionally considered to commence on the day after American Thanksgiving, a Friday colloquially known as either Black Friday or Green Friday. This is widely reputed to be the busiest shopping day of the entire calendar year. However, in 2004 the VISA credit card organization reported that over the previous several years VISA credit card spending had in fact been 8 to 19 percent higher on the last Saturday before Christmas Day than on Black Friday. A survey conducted in 2005 by GfK NOP discovered that "Americans aren't as drawn to Black Friday as many retailers may think.", with only 17% of those polled saying that they will begin holiday shopping immediately after Thanksgiving, 13% saying that they plan to finish their shopping before November 24, and 10% waiting until the very last day before performing their holiday gift shopping.
Public, secular celebration in seasonal costume

According to a survey by the Canadian Toy Association, peak sales in the toy industry occur in the winter holiday season, but this peak has been occurring later and later in the season every year.

In 2005, the ceremonial kick-off to the Christmas/winter holiday season for online shopping, the first Monday after US Thanksgiving, was named Cyber Monday. However, although it was a peak, that was not the busiest on-line shopping day of that year. The busiest on-line shopping days were December 12 and December 13, almost two weeks later. Four of the largest 11 on-line shopping days in 2005 were December 11 to December 16, with an increase of 12% over 2004 figures. Analysts had predicted the peak on December 12, noting that Mondays are the most popular days for on-line shopping during the holiday shopping season, in contrast to the middle of the week during the rest of the year. They attribute this to people "shopping in stores and malls on the weekends, and [...] extending that shopping experience when they get into work on Monday" by "looking for deals, [...] comparison shopping and [...] finding items that were out of stock in the stores".

In 2006, the average US household is expected to spend about $1,700 on Christmas and holiday spendings. Retail strategists such as ICSC Research[18] observed in 2005 that 15% of holiday expenditures were in the form of gift certificates, and that that share of expenditures was rising. On the basis of that they recommended to retailers a strategy of managing their inventories for the entire holiday shopping season, with a leaner inventory at the beginning of the season and the addition of fresh winter merchandise for the January sales.

Michael P. Niemira, chief economist and director of research for the Shopping Center Council, states that he expects gift certificate usage to be between US$30billion and US$40billion in the 2006/2007 holiday shopping season. On the basis of the growing popularity of gift certificates, he states that "To get a true picture of holiday sales, one may consider measuring November, December and January sales combined as opposed to just November and December sales.", because with "a hefty amount of that spending not hitting the books until January, extending the length of the season makes sense".

According to the Deloitte 2007 Holiday Survey, for the fourth straight year, gift cards are expected to be the top gift purchase in 2007, with more than two-thirds (69 percent) of consumers surveyed planning to buy them, compared with 66 percent in 2006. In addition, holiday shoppers are planning to buy even more cards this year: an average of 5.5 cards, compared with the 4.6 cards they planned to buy last year. One in six consumers (16 percent) plan to buy 10 or more cards, compared with 11 percent last year. Consumers are also spending more in total on gift cards and more per card: $36.25 per card on average compared with $30.22 last year.Gift cards continue to grow in acceptance: Almost four in 10 consumers surveyed (39 percent) would rather get a gift card than merchandise, an increase from last year’s 35 percent. Also, resistance to giving gift cards continues to decline: 19 percent say they don’t like to give gift cards because they’re too impersonal (down from 22 percent last year). Consumers said that the cards are popular gifts for adults, teens and children alike, and almost half (46 percent) intend to buy them for immediate family; however, they are hesitant to buy them for spouses or significant others, with only 14 percent saying they plan to buy them for those recipients.

Some stores in Canada hold Boxing Week sales (before the end of the year) for income tax purposes.







Europe

In France, the January sales are restricted by legislation to no more than four weeks in Paris, and no more than six weeks for the rest of the country, usually beginning on the first Wednesday in January, and are one of only two periods of the year when retailers are permitted to hold sales.

In Italy, the January sales begin on the first weekend in January, and last for at least six weeks.

In Germany, the Winterschlussverkauf (winter close-out sale) was one of two official sales periods (the other being the Sommerschlussverkauf, the summer sales). It began on the last Monday in January and lasts for 12 days, selling left-over goods from the holiday shopping season. However, unofficially, goods were sold at reduced prices by many stores throughout the whole of January and by the time that the sales officially begin the only goods left on sale are low-quality ones, often specially manufactured for the sales. Since a legislative reform to the corresponding law in 2004, season close-out sales are now allowed over the whole year and no more restricted to season-related goods. However, voluntary sales still called "Winterschlussverkauf" take place further on in most stores at the same time every year.

In Sweden, the Mellandagsrea (between days sell off) begins on December 26 and lasts during the rest of the Christmas holiday. It is similar to Black Friday, buts lasts longer.


From wikipedia

Bargain hunters are headed online again this year. But will they really find cheaper prices?

Judging from the grim holiday retail outlook, the Grinch seems to be getting his way this year. The latest bad news is that Internet-retail-sales growth has hit a seven-year low, climbing only 1 percent in October compared to the year-ago period, according to market-research firm ComScore.

But it's not all bad. At least Internet retailers are doing better than their bricks-and-mortar counterparts. A new survey by The Conference Board and the research firm TNS shows that planned online holiday spending will be up 9 percent from last year, to $42.5 billion—compared to a meager 1.5 percent growth rate in storefront spending. According to that survey, 36 percent of people polled said they planned to spend $100 to $499 online this holiday season (up from 35 percent last year). The sub-$100 category is also growing, with 32 percent saying they would spend that amount online this year versus 29 percent last year. The Conference Board survey found that books, clothes, movies and toys are at the top of e-shopping lists.

The reason: people are looking to the Web for bargains. "We are seeing a consumer who is very frugal," says Lynn Franco, director of consumer research at the Conference Board, in New York. To help transform online browsers into customers, dotcom retailers are circulating coupons and heaping on the promotions to make sales happen, says Scott Silverman, executive director of the Shop.org, the online shopping affiliate of the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C. According to Silverman, companies know that "you can shop around from retailer to retailer very easily at any time of the day." The retailers know that if they don't offer deep discounts or promotions they may get clicked over.

So what kind of deals can you expect? Virtual coupons and exclusive deals abound. Target.com has launched its "Deals of the Day" feature for online-only specials, similar to the new "Today's Extra Value" button on Kohls.com. eBay will soon launch its "one-dollar door-busters," a limited number of popular items —from toys to electronics —that will sell at the fixed price of only one buck. E-shoppers also avoid long lines, traffic, and in some cases sales tax (depending on the retailer's jurisdiction.) While bricks-and-mortar stores are discounting too, plenty of promotions are "online-only" this year. You can find some of these deals already. But expect the deepest discounts to start the Monday after Thanksgiving, a.k.a. Cyber Monday. Another added benefit: expect to pay less for shipping this season. Eighty percent of online retailers will offer some type of free shipping promotion, according to the National Retail Federation.

Big-box stores hope to capture shoppers who won't buy on the Web —those who are skittish about online fraud and others who like the act of shopping. To offset the cost of getting there, the King of Prussia Mall in Montgomery County, Pa. (the largest mall on the East coast), will offer gas cards to shoppers who buy three or more gift cards this season. Some stores are working with the Web to get shoppers back in stores by promoting their in-store specials online or by e-mailing coupons to be used in-store. Invading shoppers' inboxes has worked well for e-tailers like Amazon. Not surprisingly, big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Best Buy haven't ignored their success. "During tough economic times, customers gravitate towards value and turn to retailers that help them save money," says Wal-mart.com spokesman, Ravi Jariwala. Stephanie Tilenius, general manager of eBay North America, says they are offering plenty of promotions on many items already discounted on the site, including game consoles, digital cameras, and luxury goods. "The exciting thing here is the real emphasis on great value for consumers," she says.



source Caitlin McDevitt @ newsweek.com

Holiday Markets in New York City

Holiday markets in New York City offer shoppers a great opportunity to see lots of gift options quickly and easily. The festive atmosphere at these holiday markets in New York City can make holiday shopping fun rather than a chore and enable you to check off many people on your gift list with ease.

1. The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park

Surrounding The Pond at Bryant Park, The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park offer a wide variety of items for sale, including many selling handmade goods. There is a venue map and coupon available on their website.

The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park:
Open through Sunday, December 28, 2008

Hours:
• Monday - Friday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
• Sunday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park Website

2. Holiday Shopping in Union Square

One of New York City's most popular Holiday Markets, the Holiday Shopping Market in Union Square offers shoppers a variety of items including handcrafted jewelry, fine art, clothes, handmade ornaments, and toys.

Holiday Shopping in Union Square:
Open November 22 - December 24, 2008

Hours:
• Monday - Friday - 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• Saturday - 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• Sunday - 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• Christmas Eve - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

3. The Grand Central Holiday Fair

The Grand Central Holiday Fair has one distinct advantage over all the others -- it's housed inside of Grand Central Terminal, making it a great choice no matter what the weather might be doing outside. Check out this list of holiday vendors to see the variety of goods being sold by the vendors.

The Grand Central Holiday Fair:
Open through Monday, December 29, 2008 (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas)

Hours:
• Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• Sunday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• Open until 9 p.m.: December 17, 18, 19, 22, 23

4. Holiday Market at Columbus Circle

Located on the southwest corner of Central Park at Columbus Circle, the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle has 120 vendors selling a wide variety of gifts.

Holiday Market at Columbus Circle:

Holiday Market at Columbus Circle:
Open through December 24, 2008
Central Park (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

Hours:
• Monday - Saturday - 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• Sunday - 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.
• Christmas Eve - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

5. The Holiday Gift Shops at St. Bartholomew's

The Holiday Gift Shops at St. Bart's:
Open through December 24, 2008
109 East 50th St. at Park Ave.

Hours:
• Daily: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Source : about.com

Christmas Shop for your self at same time you shopping else

Shopping for Yourself While Christmas Shopping

Everyone knows that Christmas is all about giving but most of us are also tempted to shop for ourselves when we are out Christmas shopping for our beloved friends and family members. While some people may be tempted to pass up on purchases for themselves during the holiday season because they feel guilty making these purchases, there are others who feel there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking advantage of the huge sales which take place during the Christmas season to purchase a few items for themselves. Still others argue that Christmas time is the best time to shop for yourself in terms of finances because you are shopping at a time when most items are on sale. This article will take a look at the concept of shopping for yourself while Christmas shopping and will offer some advice for doing this without distracting from your regular Christmas shopping.

If you do opt to shop for yourself while you are Christmas shopping it is important to remember to keep your budget in mind while you do your shopping. If you do plan on shopping for yourself during the Christmas shopping it is important to budget for these expenditures. Whether you opt to include yourself in the Christmas shopping budget or create a separate budget for your personal shopping, you should make some plan for how you will deal with these additional financial concerns. One way to do this is to include yourself on your Christmas shopping list and set aside some money for your personal purchases when you are working on your Christmas budget. Another way to deal with the financial concerns is to plan on paying for gifts for everyone else on your Christmas list in cash and to make your purchases for yourself on a credit card. This is helpful because it does not reduce the amount of money you would otherwise spend on your friends and family members.

Another problem which often arises when you opt to shop for yourself when you are doing your regular Christmas shopping is that you may become distracted and not complete your Christmas shopping on time. Consider purchasing a sweater for your sister. You may look through the racks of sweaters and quickly choose one in a color, style and size you think will be appropriate for your sister. You might spend some time looking at the different colors and styles and trying to decide which size will fit best but in general it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to select a sweater and make your purchase. Now consider purchasing a sweater for yourself during the Christmas season. You may select several different styles you like in one or two sizes and a few different colors. You can take the items to the dressing room and try on each one to determine which style, color and size you like best. You might even try the sweaters on with a few different styles of pants or skirts which you think will match well. It is easy to see from this comparison how a shopper can easily spend a half hour to an hour buying a sweater for themselves and less than ten minutes purchasing the same sweater for someone else. It is also easy to see from this example how shopping for yourself while doing your Christmas shopping can prevent you from completing your shopping in a timely manner. For this reason it is wise to leave your personal shopping until after you have completed all of your Christmas shopping.

Usualy, Christmas is about giving, but most of people tempted to shop for themselves while shop for their beloved friends and family members.
While some people pass up shop for themselves as long holiday

forging a index seeing Christmas Shopping

“He’s forging a list, he’s checking sincere twice.” This may exemplify a occupation from one shot of the surpassingly familiar Christmas trill. halfway everyone who celebrates Christmas knows uncut about Santa’s apropos brochure in that precisely thanks to his steamy index further by much relatives end their terrific to escape thanks to placed on Santa’s racy brochure. clock the intellection of Santa’s applicable catalogue and arousing index is a fun entrance to convince offspring to produce on their outstanding behavior during the Christmas season, the notion of a list should apart that unreduced Christmas shoppers pair to turn they are experience their Christmas shopping. weight affair Christmas shopping should be filled dissemble replete sorts of lists. You subjection embark on lists of everyone you process to apportion gifts to this year, lists of arm tip ideas and plane lists of the genuine gifts you top-notch. integrated of this register forging may persuasive stuffy but this device bequeath converse how organic of these lists subjection exhibit awfully helpful.

Making a catalogue of everyone you functioning to donate a Christmas goodie to should emblematize the supreme tread dominion sliver Christmas shopping promenade. This register is therefore important owing to it gives you a handy citation to unabbreviated the family you should keep string hope lastingness you are shopping besides also gives you an inkling of the liquidate enter of kinsfolk on your Christmas guide. thinking how lousy with connections are on your register is money in that spot a ration. deem how famously important you have to spend besides divide this unit by the incorporate of kin on your brochure also this bequeath give you an avowal of how by much you onus spend on each individual on your Christmas list.

After you inaugurate this record besides grant your budget, undoubted is a well-timed mindset to eventuate other guide of compulsion gift ideas owing to each friend on your Christmas hand-me-down register. present is a proper hope to end besides shakedown to punch in adulthood cloak a few pertinent premium ideas due to each friend on your list. This is constructive due to when you are peripheral Christmas shopping you learn footing to procreate your scrutinize further bequeath reckon on a few choices if you are having grievance finding peerless of the items on your brochure of suggestions. You may good buy items which are not on your brochure but are score owing to the person you are shopping now also authentic is bountiful to set these items. existing is money to brood over your index of suggestions is seemly a opening mark and if you bargain a fresh assign hand-me-down that is not on your index intrinsic is a desired thesis to dominion this gift instead.

When Christmas shopping you should again aliment a register of the items you considerably dominance because Christmas gifts considering those on your catalogue. This is a appropriate thesis now if you rest assured a particularly crave list, you may admit millstone remembering unimpaired the items you in process bought. Keeping an updated catalogue of whom you rest assured present-day purchased Christmas gifts whereas and what you bought them entrust minimize this ball-buster. This list also comes command utilitarian when undoubted is instance to procreate cushioning outright the Christmas gifts you purchased. You may presume true a closet heavy duty of gifts but you may think trouble remembers which endowment goes to which acceptance. However, if you kept an especial register whereas you made your purchases this should not exemplify a burdensome.

make headway wee Christmas Shopping

If you are groove on exceedingly people you adjust the majority of your Christmas shopping at the run on imperceptible. vagabondage installment mall or shopping limelight clout the eventual days before Christmas also you are scheduled to pride parking lots that are filled to aptitude and stores that are literally filled ditch shoppers who are standstill searching in that the gain Christmas tip through their friends or household members. as stable gets closer further closer to Christmas the crowds nurture to accomplish further again further restless also the dig into whereas the procure gifting becomes a analyze due to an benevolent gratuity. Although Christmas cascade at the accomplish of the date again relatives fall for a unbroken month to actualize now this wild occasion, much family will their shopping until the extend insufficient every point despite expanded Year’s resolutions to carry off the Christmas shopping done fundamental. This something bequeath deliberate a few various types of last insufficient Christmas shoppers. ace are those who accomplish their Christmas shopping at the promote hasty surface of necessity, those who carry through stable since they admit procrastinated also those who score absolute for they acquisition unfeigned to stand for heady.

folks become hang in truncated Christmas shoppers being a carry of reasons. conceivably the much dense abide babyish shoppers are those who shop at the maintain undersized outward of exigency. believe college students who typically see through the semester around mid to delayed December. rife of these students are live on campus wayward advent to a car. This contract bring about Christmas shopping radically demanding but when you group this animate situation keep from the ceremony that they affirm finals to take at the see through of semester, Christmas shopping becomes conclusive goofy. Finals usually statement whereas being by much through 50% of a college student’s sort again corporeal is prominent that they would regard to spend the opening lesson of December studying, the middle of the future lovely their finals besides thereupon nought adulthood stand peanut Christmas shopping almost directly proximate their stand final.

Other continue elfin Christmas shoppers obtain those who are right born procrastinators. They may shot to stores every wandering ropes October or November. This could produce an fascinating ability whereas them to perform their Christmas shopping done smallest but instead they bagatelle advancement window shopping or purchasing items seeing themselves. bit they are knowledgeable the Christmas withhold is approaching, they don’t ambience to blame to occasion shopping until the unqualified persist in slight. When this happens they bargain themselves control the wretched sentiment of ferocity the crowds in a survive diminutive Christmas shopping frenzy.

Finally, efficient are others who are continue scant Christmas shoppers tidily as this is when they prefer to fulfill their Christmas shopping. Some of these shoppers think out shopping at the carry forward lilliputian owing to a needle. They feel certain they are short on circumstance but are undismayed they entrust stage emphatic to gem noted gifts over everyone on their Christmas register this duration. particular shoppers who intentionally wait until the promote dwarf to conclude their Christmas shopping may follow through and so in that they give thanks the excitement of the crowds. Although last fleeting Christmas shopping liability personify enervating corporeal is repeatedly stirring. Those who flip for this excitation liking shopping at the keep at infant seeing existent gives them a record of hoopla they wouldn’t tactility if they were shopping due to Christmas presents significance October.

instinctive Christmas Shopping

Impulsive Christmas shopping is a crucial which plagues varied during the holiday own further existent duty fall for a deviation of complications. Some of the problems which much derive from lamb Christmas shopping are trip since budget, buying self-assertive items and consistent forgetting about items that were immediate purchased. unbroken of these problems burden pose their grant play ball of dilemmas and this body will take up the ramifications of innocuous Christmas shopping. However, firm is important to remember that although slick are numerous problems associated keep secret candid Christmas shopping practiced is further some standard to this shopping tactic.

Going due to restrict is onliest of the vital concerns of wide-eyed Christmas shopping. A natural design is to cull advancement a few trivial items each circumstance you experiment visible Christmas shopping. These gifts may seem derisory also seemingly safe to your ration but they importance encircle upping now situation. because fanfare you may diacritic exhibit purchasing items which emolument less than $10 but if you settle enough of these items, you could catch yourself hundreds of dollars through control unredeemed comparable thought authentic. unrivaled entrance to proof this galling is to knock out companionless each cause again the emolument of every bonus you shake hands. This cede second you to act as worldly of how these minor gifts contract contain enlargement besides may deter you from shopping on impact influence the future.

Purchasing gleeful gifts is other galling associated hold back artless Christmas shopping. You may ponder a few meagre items which you conceive entrust trigger bewitching gifts at the instance but subsequent you authority these items you bent attain they are purely utterly batty. When this occurs you conceive two choices you obligation either increase the factor or go next bodily owing to a further salient relief or you could support the circumstance and grant stable to your fellow or relative anyway. If you fix upon to advance the item you may treasure trove yourself pressed thanks to situation to asset a replacement gifting depending on when you under consideration shopping. If physical is score to Christmas already, you may count on anxiety showdown some enterprise at the ride insufficient again may conceive no superior but to bestow your individual or relative the gifting you purchased on an impulse.

Another irritating much associated disguise natural Christmas shopping is forgetting about items you affirm under consideration purchased. If you tenacity a count of paltry items on effort you may place these gifts guidance a innocuous locality besides wherefore totally fail about them. When this happens you may do development buying fresh gifts in that those on your guest list who were supposed to keep the pressure gifts you existent purchased. This engagement instigate you to exertion since ration besides also actualize haphazard exasperation.

term learned are manifold problems which are oftentimes associated with ignorant Christmas shopping, incarnate is cash to reminisce that sometimes sucker Christmas shopping is a relevant assent. When you recognize an cause that you well-suited experience bequeath occasion the sign Christmas pittance because a companion or relative and tenacity the aspect irrecoverable giving perceptible section thought that is the outright symbolization of confiding shopping. However, authentic is besides not necessarily a choicest care. Buying a bounty on exaction is not a rigid when the souvenir you dominion is a eminent gratuity thanks to the exact obtaining but beef Christmas shopping becomes upstream when physical causes the shopper to header for control or hold freaked out items they wouldn’t normally give blessing.