The equivalent of six times the population of Australia, or all of Japan plus 5 million, are expected to be out shopping in the US today, one of the busiest days of the year for US retailers.
And while 133 million Americans out shopping might sound like a lot, that would be seven million less than the 140 million who turned out last year on what has come to be known as "Black Friday," data released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) show.
This year's Black Friday -- thus named because it helps tip retailers' accounts into the black, or profit, for the year -- could leave stores feeling blue, as Americans reel in their spending due to soaring fuel prices, a crumbling property market, record home foreclosures and a credit squeeze.
To get consumers to forget their economic and other worries -- such as an uncorroborated threat the FBI said it received last month, saying terrorists will target shopping malls this Christmas -- retailers are laying on lavish and quirky events.
"Malls will be offering programs such as pet photos with Santa, caroling by school and church groups, cook-offs, bake sales, and other promotions and contests to keep shoppers in the holiday spirit," the International Council of Shopping Centers said in a statement.
Christmas Kitsch
Near Washington, shopping malls were offering ethnic Santas, Santas who know sign language, children's parades and interactive Christmas villages with indoor snow, as they vie to create a unique experience that will convince consumers to shop with them.
The Mall in Columbia, halfway between Washington and Baltimore, last week unveiled the "Santastic" interactive Christmas village -- one of only three in the US -- and held a children's parade to welcome Santa Claus.
"This is all about creating an experience for families. We feel we provide a great environment for our customers. That's why we wanted to do something that has never been done in the industry," the mall's general manager Karen Geary said, refusing to comment on whether the event was aimed at drawing in potential customers.
She did say, however, that the numbers at the launch exceeded her expectations.
"We had tremendous interest. We were expecting 100 children, and we got twice that, with their parents," Geary said.
One mother at the launch said she had come to the mall just to see the Christmas village with her son, not to spend money.
After three hours, a few slices of pizza and a US$180 purchase that was reduced to US$60, she was heading home.
value
"Retailers know that customers are looking for good value this holiday season and many will be offering prices and promotions that are too good to pass up," Tracy Mullin, president of the NRF, said in a statement.
Earlier this month, the NRF reported that retailers were worried because Christmas shopping was getting off to a slow start.
But, the federation assured, "good news lies ahead for many retailers" because nearly three-quarters of American consumers had done less than 10 percent of their Christmas shopping early this month.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique