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To: Joe S Pack who wrote (42169)	11/29/2003 3:24:51 PM
From: Joe S Pack	Respond to of 74559

Given people's enthu for spending, and that coming election next year, why will the current run up be different for another year at the least? Wal-Mart Sets Tone for Holiday Sales Saturday November 29, 12:29 pm ET biz.yahoo.com Reuters Wal-Mart Sets Tone for Holiday Sales Saturday November 29, 12:29 pm ET By Emily Kaiser CHICAGO (Reuters) - Americans scoured the malls for bargains on Saturday as retailers tallied up what looked to be a solid, if unspectacular, start to the make-or-break holiday shopping season. If Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is any indication, the big retail weekend was living up to expectations for improvement over last year, when the holiday season generated the smallest sales gain in more than 30 years. Wal-Mart, the world's biggest company by revenues, posted a record $1.52 billion in Friday sales at its U.S. stores, up 6.3 percent from a year earlier. That works out to about $5.19 for every American. Last year, Wal-Mart's day-after-Thanksgiving sales jumped 14.4 percent from 2001. Overall, Saturday's sales looked set to slow from Friday's frenetic pace as many stores opened later and some shoppers stayed home to rest up after a busy day on Friday. The weather was expected to be dry for most of the country on Saturday, but a band of snow and ice was moving across the U.S. Northeast, and showers hit parts of northern California and the U.S. Northwest. Mall operators and retailers reported fewer shoppers camping out for early-bird specials on Saturday morning, although parking lots were beginning to fill at some East Coast shopping centers. "Today it is a little bit slower, no question," said Julie Goldman, general manager of The Falls shopping center in Miami. She said the parking lot around Macy's department store, which opened at 7:00 a.m., was about 97 percent full by 10:00 a.m.. Other parts of the shopping center -- where stores opened later -- were still relatively quiet. Analysts expect this holiday season to show a 5 percent to 7 percent increase from last year's disappointing level, but major retailers have tried to dampen expectations, noting that consumers are still restraining their spending. Retailers across the country reported bigger crowds than last year on the day after Thanksgiving -- known as Black Friday because it once marked the day when retailers got out of the red and turned a profit. The traditional start to the holiday shopping season generates as much as 40 percent of annual revenues and nearly all the year's profits for key gift destinations such as toy stores and apparel chains. Black Friday was once the biggest shopping day of the year, but in recent years that title has gone to the Saturday before Christmas. This year is likely to be no exception. Despite signs of a reviving U.S. economy, discounts were the big attraction at most stores. Wal-Mart spokeswoman Sharon Weber said Friday's big sellers were small appliances for $4.86, including a hand mixer, burger grill or even a fondue set. A $98 trampoline and a $24.88 bicycle also sold well, she said. The big holiday test is still to come as retailers try to sustain the Thanksgiving weekend pace through Christmas. Last year, sales tapered off after a strong start.

To: Joe S Pack who wrote (42169)	11/29/2003 3:56:02 PM
From: John Carragher	Respond to of 74559

outside philly at the opening of one store a woman tried to explain she was in line in her car.. Two other woman wouldn't let her pass. They kept pushing her out of the line and entrance to the store.. all on the network tv. Also some woman loose their balance when the doors opened.. Never saw anything like the lines they had yesterday.. Some of the stores opened at 5am while others 6am and people were in line starting around 4am per some interviews. just amazing. these lines were blocks long..

To: Joe S Pack who wrote (42169)	11/29/2003 7:49:56 PM
From: TobagoJack	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74559

Hello Nat, <<$29 DVD player at a Wal-Mart>> ... Gee, let me guess the national origin of the DVD player ;0) I can see how slapping a 27.5% tariff or a 200% punitive duty on the unit will not change a thing in direction of trade flows. I have been visiting the Bay Area and have been wandering around in a rented US-assembled 5.0 Litre Mustang, accompanying a Venezuelan cousin to cruise the tourist sites, specialty shops (Sharper Image, etc), malls, Ikea, CompuUSA, Office Max, Home Depot, and of course, Toys R Us. We were looking for computer goodies, comforters, quilts, kids toys, etc, and have also been rewarding ourselves with loads of wonderful seafood and so-so Chinese food. Just about everything (except two things) we paid attention to at the shops were made in China. The two exceptions was a Korean gizmo and a Thailand whizmo. I bought three Australian stuffed sheep skin teddy bears for about USD 60 each from an upmarket shop situated in an office complex, and yes, they were made in China. I can only imagine the aggregate margin of the collective layers of middlemen. My Venezuelan cousin and I went through a two level city block-sized Ikea shop on his wife's remote control orders, and we did not come across any item for sale that was not from China. The experience was shocking. Another shocker to any non-frequent visitor is the traffic. I think an energy crisis will be very bad news. Chugs, Jay