Discount retailers may not see sales surge this weekend ho hum about to increase taxes and cut government spending to worry about little reason to Americans in the past few days ago, to open their wallets Christmas.
Fierce debate in Washington on how to avoid the so-called "financial cliff" weight on the number of shopping is a concern, experts said, go to the shopping center in front of the last Saturday of the festival - usually one of the busiest shopping day this year as consumers .
Ron Friedman, the person in charge of the retail business of the consulting firm of Marcum LLP, said: "I do not think we will get a great pick-up over the past few days here, to explain how" cliff "uncertainty weighed on the U.S. hearts.
Some consumers agreed.
Entire fiscal cliff thing is a little nerve-racking, and we are trying to save a little money, housing construction projects next year, "Emma Carrington, aged 43, said the Westfield Old Orchard Shopping Center in Illinois shopping State Skokie.
Last Saturday at the Barnes & Noble store, who is her husband bought the Nook electronic reader, the mother of three said she spent less than last year.
Many other countries also cautious.
"We just try to keep a budget we are not crazy," said Tom, Chowinski, in Nielsen's market research, who is shopping with his wife, their four adult children in the Wal-Mart store in the morning (Saturday) Westbury , New York.
U.S. consumer confidence index fell sharply in December of Americans feel uneasy ongoing negotiations. Thomson Reuters / Michigan's final reading of overall consumer confidence index fell from 82.7 to 72.9 days, the poor than the expected 74.7. This is the lowest level since January.
"Whenever you introduce anxiety, it will affect consumer spending," especially those who Shedian, said Kevin Regan, director at FTI Consulting senior management of the company.
Some, like the New Yorker Linda Hampton-store shopping at Best Buy, hope lawmakers will avoid the "cliff" in some way.
"This will be a disaster, our taxes will go up, but I think that will strengthen our president," Hampton said.
Talks stopped at Republican lawmakers on Thursday rejected the recommendations of the House Speaker John Boehner, designed to win President Barack Obama's concessions, in order to avoid the financial cliff.
HO-HUM Christmas?
"Would have a happy Christmas to ho hum Christmas, and get in the middle of all this, we would like to thank our, you know, politicians," said NPD analyst Marshal Cohen. "The great unknown to make a big damper out, spend more consumers feel confident."
Shopping centers from New York to Illinois to California on Saturday the general population, but the experts said, consumers can simply procrastination. Unlike past years, when Christmas falls on a weekend, the holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, last minute shopping, so more breathing space.
In addition, many retailers offer free shipping, and commitment to the provision of goods on Christmas Eve.
"Traffic you see it, and said:" not necessarily give you the full picture, Ramesh Swamy, an analyst at Deloitte.
Susan Napu Qi, Glendale Plaza in Southern California, the senior marketing manager, said she hoped that these shoppers, and even a number of visits, rather than doing their last minute on a Saturday to go shopping.
Holiday quarter accounted for half of the about 30% of the annual sales income and profit, many chains.
More than 60% of U.S. consumers have completed more than three-quarters of their holiday shopping, according to a Reuters / Ipsos opinion poll released on Thursday. This means that retailers will provide shoppers great discounts as bait, let them open their wallets in the last lap of the festival competition.
Although Cohen and Friedman retailer is expected to pull out all the stops on this weekend last minute shopping courtship, others expect the discount is less aggressive, because the retailer managed inventory this year to do a better job.
"Customers will not be trading than last year Tuhy," said Scott, vice president of Moody's. "I have not seen a discount of as much as 60-70% of the sales revenue."
Although any one item of the Barnes & Noble Nook An attic chain to provide a 50% discount, in addition to the new arrivals, in addition to the product to provide a 25% discount. The gap between the 40% discount denim, Victoria's Secret ad $ 5 LaCie underwear some yoga clothes and $ 10.
Macy's and Nordstrom department stores, some of the busiest in the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, Long Island, New York, but the crowd at the JC Penney store is mild.
This week, the market research firm ShopperTrak reduce its sales forecast in November and December, and now expects sales to grow by 2.5%, rather than an increase of 3.3%.
Many retailers reported record traffic on Thanksgiving Day and the following weekend, but several, including Macy's and Saks business, lost a lot, in early November because of the Superstorm Sandy.
November to December holiday season sales look to rise 4.1%, to $ 58.61 billion in 2011, an increase of 5.6% this year, according to the National Retail Federation.
"Retailers will be quite a challenge to try to go beyond it all this year," Cohen said, referring to a string of events, including hurricanes, Washington, December 14 shooting deadlock dragged down U.S. consumer festival in Connecticut primary school.
NRF that retail sales rose by about 2 to 2.5 percent in 2013, the fiscal cliff to avoid. If not, the sales will be flat year, the trading bloc with a study of Macroeconomic Advisers estimated.

 



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