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I. Why We Are Shopping
Lately with the way the economy has been going Americans are trying to cut costs. The first things to go have been the personal luxuries- entertainment subscriptions, dining out, and frivolous shopping just to name a few. But with the holidays just around the corner, this frugal spending is about to be put on hold.
A. There Is More To Do This Year
With the recent speculation about the downward trend of the economy many consumers have been keeping a tight fist on their money. Very little holiday shopping has been done yet. This is a big change over years past, where shrewd customers would keep their eyes out for the less publicized pre-holiday sales and get a good chunk of their holiday purchasing done before the crowds started forming at the malls. This year, however, there is a lot more shopping that needs to be done on the well-known “Black Friday” and the following weekends to get it all in by the conclusion of the holiday season. A Consumer Reports survey found that 26% of shoppers plan to shop on “Black Friday” this year as opposed to last year’s 21%.
B. Biggest Sales In Recent History
Given that Americans have been spending less in the last few weeks, businesses nation-wide are looking to cash in on as many holiday sales as possible by offering some of the biggest sales in recent history. This year it is not uncommon to see ads touting “Everything In The Store 20% Off” and “$50 Off All Purchases Over $200” etc. Shoppers headed out in droves this season are going to be looking for these amazing offers.
C. Falling Gas Prices
Falling gas prices are not just impacting retail businesses, but also online stores. While customers are more likely to head out to the malls or outlets when gas is cheaper, they are also inclined to spend more money online knowing that the costs for daily necessities like driving to the grocery store or work are lower than expected.
II. Seasons Tips
Given that retail stores and online businesses can expect to see a boost in sales this holiday season compared to the stagnation of the last few months, here are some handy tips to get your piece of the pie:
A. Visually Set Your Website Apart
Your website’s “ooh lala” aspect could make or break the sale this season. With so much competition out there you are going to want to make sure that you are giving customers what they want to see.

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Good morning! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am very thankful to all of you who have found this blog and keep showing up in my stats day after day. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. I am writing this from my parents' house in Connecticut; any time now, I will be embarking on my annual tradition of fighting with my brother over the TV because I want to watch the Macy's parade and he doesn't. I think there's also a significant amount of potato peeling in my future, so I'll make this quick.

National Update: Well, international today, unfortunately. Pretty much all of the news is focused on the tragic attacks in Mumbai. Honestly, I'm not as informed about this as I'd like to be, because yesterday was spent trying to wrap things up at work and then driving.

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