“Consumers really got a monkey off their back when gas prices came down. I do expect this year that Black Friday will be the biggest (shopping) day of the year.”
“The really good ones have developed some sort of product niche, whether they are the place to go to get the latest and greatest cook or travel books. They've developed a niche that makes them really unique.”
“I don't think the day is the kind of day that retailers thought it would be. Christmas Eve is seldom the big day because of the fact that so many consumers ... want to be home.”
“What's happens is retailers become known for certain things. You want to be known for some product category. You want to be known for a return policy.”
“More Americans are waiting to the end to shop for Christmas than any other time in the last 10 years. The consumer was never excited about anything that they saw this Christmas.”
“Retail sales were pretty good, considering at the start of the season we were looking at $3 gasoline and were still recovering from the hurricanes. Consumers got out early and responded to early-bird specials, but there wasn't much new. There was no hot toy or hot apparel look.”
