yup

But yet, I remember working retail in the 70s recession and the bosses blamed it on the employees not doing their jobs and closing the sale. I brought up during a store meeting that it was kinda hard to close a sale if there was no traffic. People had to come INTO the store for us to sell them something. And that was the boss's territory, to get people in those doors. If peoe had no money then no sale on earth was going to get them in those doors.

I have always believed that to be a difficult job indeed - it takes real skill to deal with the public. I certainly never had the temperament to do it, I'd be going off on people constantly.

With quality merchandise.

for one last big, blowout commercialized Xmas because they know what's coming down the line. They know they won't be able to do it next year. Credit is going to be too tight and prices will be too high and there will be no way in hell of pretending any of it will turn around until and unless there is a major change inthe government of this country, it's perspective and its priorities.

I expect retail to have a tepid year, neither spectacularly successful nor fatally disastrous. Next year will be the bad one.

And no, no clues will be accepted, they will be shrugged off until the whole rotten edifice is dropped onto their greedy heads.

My daughter always did big shopping including the shopping Channel on tv.

This year she said one gift unless it's handmade by ourselves or baked or cooked goods.