Among Friends

[Shanus]

I have been in my mall and Target several times over the passed week and the stores are not crowded for this time of year.

I'm not sure if folks are waiting for Black Friday (I never go), but there are so many good sales now I was surprised. I personally tend to purchase a lot online, but some things like shoes and makeup just have to be purchased in person.

The stores I went in were piled up with merchandise.

[Group 5 minus 1]

Also there is a shortage of personnel,so very few to stock shelves.

Money is tight and credit card debt is at an all time high. Things may never improve,I am sad to say.

[Shanus]

@Group 5 minus 1   Added to what you said, I think unfortuneately crime has kept people away, too.

[Commoner Exec Mr Wilkes]

The National Retail Federation has just released its annual survey and forecast for Holiday 2023 consumer spending. 

Spending is projected to rise 3-4% over 2022, a rate of growth generally in line with recent years.  Total spending could reach $967 billion. 

The biggest change is expected to be online purchasing, which will grow 10% to almost 30% of total sales.  Almost 60% of consumers indicate that at least a portion of purchasing will be made online.  So foot traffic in stores can be expected to drop.

Retailers indicate temporary hiring will be in the 345,000 to 450,000 range.

[GinaV24]

I haven't been in Target recently. The last store I was in, other than the grocery, was Walmart when I picked up an online order I made.  The parking lot was not as crowded as it usually is but there was a steady flow of people. 

I hear you about the crime issue these days. I keep a close eye out since with all of the car jackings and robberies in the stores, it is concerning. There have been several robberies of people at various banks in the Philadelphia area! One woman was making a deposit of $30K and was hit over the head & the $ stolen. 

I never do the black Friday thing - that kind of chaos doesn't excite me at all!

We're not doing a big Christmas anyway. My brother has been sick for over a year and I've been helping him. When we do go out, I have to be very careful if he's with me because his hearing is bad & he moves really slowly. We really don't need any more stuff.

Take care of  yourselves when you are out. 

[kaydee50]

We were in Target yesterday and it was pretty crowded and well stocked.

What really suprised me was we had lunch in a local German restaurant that is pretty large and every table was taken.  We were happy to see that it is doing so well.

[skatting44]

  2 of my local Home Goods  stores were packed with shoppers  last Thursday  and this past Monday .

[Commoner Exec Mr Wilkes]

Personally,  I don't foresee consumer contraction at all this Holiday Season. 

What's evolving is where they shop, so not seeing them in a mall is not indicative of a reluctant consumer.

[hgsuddle]

The stores in my area are packed - lines to the back of the store at Costco, half-hour waits in line at two different TJ Maxx stores, etc,  People are shopping - perhaps more prudently and at more discount places, but they are shopping. I very rarely shop at the mall - if I buy anything from a department store it is Nordstrom - free shipping and free returns. I don't have to go there.

[SoCal Bred]

I don't venture out as much as I used to, I do stop at Target maybe every 2 weeks, the problem is I like to shop early in the day before the crowd and since they do not have help to stock the shelves at night they do it during the day so you have to manuever your carts around them while doing your shopping same goes for the grocery stores.