We did the Black Friday thing, made it through Cyber Monday and here we are, getting ready for the big splurge, Christmas. And we know that the retailers know for sure: we shoppers love a good deal. So, if you want us to keep spending, you keep slashing those prices!

 

"This is not the season to be standing on principle," said Joel Bines, managing director in the global retail practice at AlixPartners. "All retailers need to have their foot on the gas in terms of promotions." Even though Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday notched new records, those key shopping days were not enough to lift retailers out of the doldrums, they said. Persistently high unemployment and uncertainty about the economy continue to weigh on shoppers, especially in the lower income brackets. "We’ve got dual economies, the middle and upper middle class are spending and the lower part of the spectrum is having a very difficult time," Bines explained.

 

That was reflected in November’s same-store sales reports, an important gauge of a retailer’s health, which measures sales at stores that have been open for at least a year. While high-end consumers showed they still had an appetite for luxury goods, with department stores like Saks and Nordstrom beating expectations, discounters and big-box stores like Kohl’s, Target and J.C. Penney disappointed. "It’s the higher income consumers that are carrying the day and the luxury stores that show the results," added Alison Paul, vice-chairman of Deloitte’s retail & distribution sector.

 

Target’s same-store sales fell short of estimates despite an extremely busy Black Friday shopping weekend, when high-end items like the 8GB iPod Touch, Westinghouse’s 46-inch LCD HDTV and the Leapster Lappad were among the bestsellers.

 

Doorbuster deals and promotions may have driven foot traffic and sales to retailers like Target at the end of November, but as most consumers reconsider their budgets, there will likely be a lull in the next few weeks, Bines said. "We’re not off to the races, let’s put it that way." For now, the National Retail Federation said it is sticking with its earlier forecast for overall holiday retail sales to increase 2.8% to $465.6 billion during the months of November and December.

 

To keep consumers in the shopping spirit, here are some of the post-Black Friday deals retailers are rolling out: Target announced another toy sale Thursday, where shoppers can buy one get one half off from Dec. 4 through Dec. 10. The discount giant also said it would feature one deeply-discounted toy a day in stores and online until Christmas.

 

Toys R Us said it will kick off "Super Sale Saturday" starting at 6 a.m. Dec. 3, with over 85 doorbusters like $30 off Razor scooters, buy one get one free on packs of Moshi Monsters and buy one get one half off on Uglydolls.

 

Best Buy is offering free smart phones throughout December with the purchase of a two-year plan and Amazon is launching "Holiday Flurry Deals Week" starting Sunday, Dec. 4. That’s in addition to free shipping offers throughout the month from retailers across the board, including Wal-Mart

The name originated in Philadelphia, where it was originally used to describe the heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that "Black Friday" indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or are "in the black". We know why I call it Black Friday: it is named for my mood as I watch my family spending my hard earned money at the sales. 

 

For many years, it was common for retailers holding sales to open at 6:00, but lately many had crept to 5:00 or even 4:00. This was taken to a new extreme in 2011, when several retailers, including Target, Kohls, Macy’s, Best Buy, and Bealls, will open at midnight for the first time, forcing employees to either go without enough sleep or miss all or part of Thanksgiving with family. Walmart will open at 10:00 on Thanksgiving night and Toys ‘R’ Us at 9:00. In 2010, Sears was open on Thanksgiving Day.

 

Walmart stores nationwide will host a sale, Super Saturday, which will offer some Black-Friday-style deals. The event starts Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. and will go on while supplies last or until midnight Saturday.

 

According to the retail industry trade group, the National Retail Federation, today’s consumer has high expectations. They already expect retailers to offer low prices and strong promotions, but they also want to know what they’re getting on top of that. The Christmas Price Guarantee speaks to other consumers who want a great deal, and are concerned about when they should time their purchases to get it. With this guarantee, shoppers know that if they see an item they purchased advertised for less at another store between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25, Walmart will refund the difference in the form of a Walmart gift card.

 

A sample of Walmart’s electronics deals for its Super Saturday promotion include a Nook Color e-reader, that will be priced at $199. It was selling for $249, Walmart said. An Xbox 360 250 gigabyte console with Kinect is priced at $399, plus you get a $50 Walmart gift card. A Sanyo 42-inch LCD TV will be selling for $398, down from $448.

 

So at the end of the day, shoppers have a lot of offers to consider, and many are taking the time to do just that. The NRF said that in times of economic uncertainty consumers are willing to devote the time to find the "best" deal and they will shop all over the place, cherry picking the best deals. People also aren’t discriminating. They will buy toys at a grocery store or stocking stuffers at a wholesale club, the NRF said.

And that explains all the activity, and also the early start times that many retailers are planning for the Black Friday madness. Kohl’s, Macy’s and Target are all planning to open at midnight on the day after Thanksgiving, which is traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

I have the International Herald Tribune delivered to my front door every morning. I am ashamed (or proud) to say that the prime reason is that I am hooked on the New York Times crossword. This is how I escape from the muddled, angry world we live in. This puzzle has become a cult around the world. It has quite a few blogs which discuss the daily puzzle, analyze the puzzle–maker (known among us solvers as a ‘cruciverbalist’) and his or her evil intentions. But I do read the news too and when I cannot complete the crossword I scan the paper from top to bottom. So yesterday, the day of an impossible Sunday puzzle, I decided to take my newspaper addiction one step further. Shopping. I will buy everything the paper advertises, I decided in my moment of madness.

 

I barely made it past page 1. I used to think that this is a paper for the people. Not my kind of people. 

 

The ad is for a Patek Philippe watch. “Begin you own tradition” says the ad. I got the price by email: “The suggested retail price for the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph Automatic Rose Gold (5960R) is $79,800. If you have any questions about this item, please send an email to…”

 

The only ad here is a picture of a leopard and the word Cartier. This is simply a reminder: “If you are shopping for leopard start at Cartier.” No price.

 

Full page ad of a very smooth looking woman wearing a great pair of earrings. Bad picture taken from too low down giving her size 16 feet. No price.

 

Belles Montres. International Luxury Watch salon to be held in Paris this weekend. Do I need to look for a back-up unit for the watch I bought on page 1? 

 

Celine has a good picture of a shopping bag. No price. I guess the message is, “get one for your lady and let her fill it at Christmas time”.

 

My weakness – art. Lempertz, an auction house in Cologne shows a Maz Ernst oil painting consisting of 3 human figures or 3 sheaves of wheat, I couldn’t decide. The estimated price is €600,000 to €800,000. The other painting is by Wassily Kandinsky, a watercolor carrying an estimated price of is €900,000 to €1,000,000. The sale will be held on December 2. I will not be there.

 

Ermenegildo Zegna. “Passion for life” The ad shows 2 pictures of a gold watch, front and back views. Difficult to find the price but the watch has some great reviews from shoppers. The closes price I could find for the Monterubello Chrono model advertised in the paper is $28,300.

 

Roger Federer and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date watch, almost a standard ad these days. $8,150. Much cheaper than I thought it would be. Perhaps a kind reader…, or my publisher…

 

I will continue with the daily crossword. No more news and no more shopping.