"More shoppers are having second thoughts in checkout line" by Anne D’Innocenzio, Associated Press | August 23, 2009
NEW YORK - Penny-pinching Americans are getting cold feet at the checkout - thinking twice about spending and ditching items before they’re rung up.
As opposed to profligate bankers.
They’re leaving sweaters in the dress department, dumping cookies near the grocery cashier, and waiting until the last minute to weigh wants versus needs....
Posting these hurt me because of the insults and the outrageous (and ongoing) looting of the American people.
It means more lost sales for stores at a time when there are already fewer customers because of the recession. For brick-and-mortar shops already working with fewer staff, it also means more work because orphaned items have to be restocked.
Hard numbers are difficult to come by, but....
Sigh. Why don't they just say "the next part is bullshit?"
Ashley Nichols Guttuso of Midlothian, Va., dumped a red cardigan last week at the counter at the local Limited store after she found out she couldn’t use a $15 store coupon on the $15 sweater.
Guttuso says she could have afforded it, but she has focused on necessities since losing her job as a copywriter for Circuit City in January, as the chain was preparing to go out of business.
“I went in there thinking I could get something for free,’’ said the 27-year-old. “I couldn’t rationalize it - even spending $15 to $20. I am watching everything now.’’
Besides abandoning goods while in line, they’re paying close attention once checkout begins.
Yeah, you are "abandoning" those pieces of s*** you DON'T NEED, consumer! BAD, BAD, 'murkn!
And you SHOULD WATCH the CHECKER!
Ever hear of a DOUBLE-SCAN, DOUBLE-CHARGE!?
They ask cashiers to provide a total while they’re still scanning items to see where they stand, or to have necessities like health care basics scanned first, said Dan Fishback, chief executive of DemandTec Inc., a retail technology company. When they hit their limit, they forgo what’s left in the basket.
Lower credit limits are also contributing to the abandonment. Shoppers say credit card transactions are being denied if they go over their limit just a bit, said Ben Woosley, director of marketing and consumer research at CreditCards.com. In the past, issuers would often approve purchases up to 10 percent over the limit....
That's the way you CONTROL a MONEY SUPPLY!!!!
Where, oh, where, did those TRILLIONS in alleged LIQUIDITY LOOT go?
--more--"
Hey, at least layoffs, I mean, layaway is making a comeback and THAT'S a GOOD THING, according to the AmeriKan MSM:
"Layaway has its roots in the Great Depression"
But we aren't in one; in fact, we are coming out of recession.
That's what all the guys who f***ed the whole thing up say.
Actually, I think it's good, too:
NEW YORK - To gauge consumers’ strain, look no further than the rows and rows of plastic bags awaiting layaway payments at Kmart. They are filled with back-to-school basics - not just T-shirts and jeans but notebooks, magic markers, and pencils.
It is unheard of for layaway rooms to be so packed at back-to-school time and for the packages to include relatively cheap school supplies. A record number of shoppers, shut off from credit and short on cash, are relying on Kmart’s layaway program to pay for all of their children’s school needs, said Tom Aiello, a spokesman for Kmart’s parent Sears Holdings Corp.
Layaway allows shoppers to pay over time, interest-free, and pick up their merchandise when it’s paid in full....
Layaway has its roots in the Great Depression. It became passe in the past two decades with the rise of credit cards. But the recession and financial crisis have caused banks to raise rates, pare credit limits, and close accounts.
Yup, FORCED 'em to as they CLEARED BILLIONS in PROFITS last quarter!
For some consumers, layaway is the best option to budget for purchases. Buying a little at a time and other signs of stress are casting a dark cloud over the holiday season....
PFFFT!
Many economists expect to see another holiday season of sales declines, on top of last year’s Christmas period, the weakest in several decades. That’s raising more doubts about an economic recovery because consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of economic activity....
Oh, DOUBTS NOW!! Sigh!
