Big Apple Diary – Surviving the 2008 Holiday Season
10-12-2008
This drop could be directly attributed to the deeperdiscounts offered this year. Cyber Monday is not necessarily the biggest onlineshopping day for the holiday season but it is traditionally when retailers seethe 1st major spike of the season..
So what categories saw the biggest growth in "hits"this Cyber Monday vs last year? According to the rating services, beauty sites are theclear winners showing the fastest growth. Ranked 2nd are toys and video games followedby apparel in3rd place.
The sites with the most visitors were lead by eBay, Amazon and Wal-Mart. Overall,"online only" sites were clear winners over the "brick & mortar" or"catalog" sites.
According to Google's retail blog results, there weregains on select searches namely; department stores, books, home furnishings,sports & fitness.
Based on these initial positive results, retailersremain hopeful this momentum will carry them through the season. But no one istaking any chances so the aggressive promotions combined with free shipping arebound to fuel continued interest. Many "brick & mortar" retailers likeWal-Mart and Kohls are taking no chances online and have expanded "CyberMonday" into "Cyber Week" values for as long as supplies last.
Even with encouraging "BLACK FRIDAY" and "CYBER MONDAY" results,the doom & gloom returned when US retailers reported Novembercomparable store sales last Thursday. There was no mercy forspecialty or department stores as retailers experienced their worst month thisdecade. It was reported that November comp store sales dropped a depressingminus – 2.7%
US retailers reportingdouble digit decreases included; JCPenney, Macys, Kohls, Target, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus Group, Gap, LimitedBrands (owners of Victoria'sSecret). Abercrombie & Fitch who had been on an upswing for many seasonsposted a dismal minus -28% plunge as they made the conscience decision not topromote and hurt their brand image. Sak's faired better than most of the luxurytier stores at minus -5%.
But there were a fewretailers who actually managed to deliver sales growth in November….leading thepack was Wal-Mart at+3.4% This is the largest US retailer and I must say thatthey have really cleaned up their act with an impressive marketing campaign…"Save Money. Live better" as well as upgraded the customer shoppingexperience in all of their doors. This impressive increase is well deserved.They have seen a rise in both customer numbers and average spending per trip asthey gain market share from their rivals .Their aggressive holiday promotionshave drove their grocery business which is on fire and have seen growth inhome, apparel and electronics.
Although the list ofwinners for the month was slim, other notable increases were achieved at BJ'sWholesale Club, teen retailer Hot Topic and the Buckle. 
Let's face it, whether it's an online or in-storeexperience, customers are being cautious …they are searching for the deepestreductions, using their store coupons and holding out for the best deals…..this is definitely a year of reckoning for all types of retailers. I'd like tothink that this tumultuous holiday season will be looked at as "acorrection" in the spending habits of most consumers.Most of our gift giving got out of control and Christmas 2008 just might be thetime to "reel it in" and "put life into prospective"!
When the going gets tough, it is the perfectopportunity toturn the situation around and make 2008 the holiday to remember!
v Make this a season aboutcaring and togetherness…..
v Stop the giving of"stuff" and turn it into "spirit"…… 
You don't have to get out the glue & glitter….whether you're creative or not, anyone can personalize a gift!! The followingare a few quick pick "favs" that won't break the bank but will show youcare….
« Make a donation to afavorite charity in the recipient's name
« Support your local AnimalShelter and save the life of a loving cat or dog….you'll get credit for yearsto come!
« Gift someone with aGPS/Navigation system so they can always find their way back to the ones theylove! 
« T'is the season toindulge in hand dipped chocolate strawberries & fruits…no, you do not haveto do this yourself simply rely on Godiva or check out online options.
« Consider monogramming forwomen, men & kids….dress shirts, cashmere sweaters, robes, PJ's, sheets& towels the possibilities are endless!
« Give a gift for one witha single serve hot beverage system….even Starbucks is making pods to brew yourtea or coffee!
In theremaining 2 weeks, take on the challenge and come up with your own list offavorite gift-ables that show you care!
Makeevery moment count….until next week,
Cheryl
