Despite the crowds at my local mall, this holiday season was one of the worst yet as it sunk in for everyone that we are indeed in a recession and no one knows how long it's going to last.
It seems that the very sales that were driving people to the mall for some last minute shopping may be the very thing that hurts retailers the most:
Even though the big sales were designed to boost store traffic and sales, and "minimize the damage," ... that level of discounting will ultimately hurt merchants' bottom line.
Ouch, talk about a misfire on the side of the retailers.
It may be tough for the retailers, but I can't say I'm surprised. While I was among the throng of last-minute holiday bargain hunters, I didn't have that same sense of satisfaction that I usually do when I "score a great deal." In fact, I felt almost sick to my stomach looking at the sale signs and noting how few of the people milling around were actually holding any shopping bags. My husband said it best, "Too bad we don't have any money, because then we could get so many great presents."
Instead, like the rest of America, we cut back. And, somehow, we still had a fabulous Christmas anyway. Could it be that we don't actually need that much to be truly happy on Christmas morning? Is it possible that this recession could help everyone realize that we've become slaves to the media's idea of what we need to be happy (you know, designer everything: clothes, cell phones, cars, ... even coffee), when in reality all we need is a happy home and time to enjoy our families and friends?
Or, will this glow of goodwill end once we're all able to afford to go shopping again?
Comments