How weird are Holiday Sales in your Area?

a reply to: rickymouse

I'd love to know where the "great" prices are. one of the reason I don't black friday shop anymore is because all the prices are gimmicky. You usually end up getting a "sale" on an item they want to get rid of anyway, or the same kind of sale you'd find any other day.

I was around when Black Friday was the day all companies turned a huge profit so all the items were "extra" for them. They were able to give massive sales because they were already profitable. Now it feels like black friday has become a huge gimmick that companies need to try to move product.

I don't find good deals on anything anymore, and if you find actually good sales, please share. NOT TO MENTION in this current economy, Bumping a product up 15% do to inflation, then given it a 25% "sale" only amounts to a 13.75% actual sale off the original price.

Been watching this very closely. Online purchases are up compared to local. The amount of spending is more than I thought it would be. But consider this:
Credit card debt is bounding. That is people are not paying cash mainly because they don't have it.
1. Credit card debt is increasing over holidays. And that spending is counted.
2. Inflation rampant meaning items cost a lot more so spending is up and counted
3. Inflation is not going down by January when those cards reflect increases in payments required leading to.....less spending and increased inflation in ;23.

So yes people are spending more....using money they don't have to buy things they don't really need, increasing inflation.
Spending too much money on what you want will eventually lead to not being able to spend it on what you really need. I give you: the federal piggy bank. Its empty now and will need to be filled at some point. Taking food from your future table.

Holiday spending? Both up and down.
Spending is up by the rich. Middle class by credit, and the poor.?..well they can't buy a ham for Christmas now because the price has doubled.

Inflation means spending is up because things cost more and as a result more credit used which leads to eventually less spending. With inflation, even when people buy less truth is...they actually spent more.

I see this from my vantage point in a 100 thousand populated city in central IL

a reply to: PsychoEmperor

Stores list sales. You go there and "no item". Truth is they only had ten available. It was only a draw to get people in the store. Saw this with meat last week with a sale. The store never did have the sale item available. We bought nothing.

They will do anything to get you into the door. Watch out for those impulse buys. The great prices are on paper only.
go figure

a reply to: JAGStorm

Went to BJ's and Costco yesterday. Every single place we drove by was packed. Costco was packed. BJ's not so much, but that's mostly because I think people don't know much about it and the location. Otherwise, the mall and other big box stores have minimal parking available due to the number of folks.

a reply to: Overd0sed

You people will grasp at any largely visibly change and blindly throw garbage conspiracy theories/concerns. Is your life really that boring and meaningless that you have to try and fabricate something fantastic to escape your mundane existence?

This site is actually all about conspiracy. The people I’ve engaged with on here have been some of the most NON boring, fascinating, interesting, intelligent, well read, well traveled, in the know people you could ever have a dialogue with.
I think we can all agree what is said on the news is skewed if not downright lies. Sometimes I’m curious if what we are experiencing in my area (Midwest) is what others are experiencing, and I’d rather hear from real people.

If what I’m experiencing is going on countrywide, we are in trouble. You can put your head in the sand but some of us like a little heads up.

People just realizing their credit card debt is growing fast. Mines more than it has been in years so I'm stopping and paying it off. And it's just normal spending month to month.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I live in North TX (DFW area) and nothing has ever stopped here as far as people spending money it seems.
Stores are full, lines long, restaurants full, traffic worse than ever...especially cargo trucks on the highways.

Housing - I live in a brand new development in phase 2 of it. They are starting on phase 3 then 4. And yes, the houses/lots ar selling. There are about 10,000 new homes being built in my small town right now - and construction has not stopped. People ARE buying homes even w/ the high interest rates. New retail is also coming to my small town - I live outside Dallas.

So we are fine here in NTX

originally posted by: shaemac
a reply to: JAGStorm

I live in North TX (DFW area) and nothing has ever stopped here as far as people spending money it seems.
Stores are full, lines long, restaurants full, traffic worse than ever...especially cargo trucks on the highways.

Housing - I live in a brand new development in phase 2 of it. They are starting on phase 3 then 4. And yes, the houses/lots ar selling. There are about 10,000 new homes being built in my small town right now - and construction has not stopped. People ARE buying homes even w/ the high interest rates. New retail is also coming to my small town - I live outside Dallas.

So we are fine here in NTX

That is interesting to hear. I do think Texas has a lot of growth from transplants from Cali, NY, and the Midwest. Seems like everyone wants to move there. I know our area is having issues with lot sales. There was a huge boom and then it stopped on a dime, seemed overnight. Now I’ve seen some foreclosures and massive price reductions.

originally posted by: PsychoEmperor
a reply to: rickymouse

I'd love to know where the "great" prices are. one of the reason I don't black friday shop anymore is because all the prices are gimmicky. You usually end up getting a "sale" on an item they want to get rid of anyway, or the same kind of sale you'd find any other day.

I was around when Black Friday was the day all companies turned a huge profit so all the items were "extra" for them. They were able to give massive sales because they were already profitable. Now it feels like black friday has become a huge gimmick that companies need to try to move product.

I don't find good deals on anything anymore, and if you find actually good sales, please share. NOT TO MENTION in this current economy, Bumping a product up 15% do to inflation, then given it a 25% "sale" only amounts to a 13.75% actual sale off the original price.

Black Friday has always been a SCAM. For years and years and years. I thought most had caught on to this a zillion years ago.
They advertise say a $2000 TV for $500 - but in reality, they only have 1 or none of those. It's to get people into the stores to buy things since they are there anyways. Mark things up, then claim they are on sale.

This is not new. And then Black Monday came along and it is the same thing.
Propaganda is strong.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Yes, I believe this is it. Plus, there are a lot of high tech companies here AND a lot of defense contractors. Both pay big $$ so people can afford the shopping and new homes and interest rates.

Oh and with Amazon. I buy a lot from there. Most things I still get in 1 or 2 day. Mostly the next day. There are a couple of huge Amazon distribution centers not far away and I think that is why.
Those getting things many days later - the distribution center near them may not have the stock - so it is coming from further away and often UPS uses USPS which we all know sucks ass.....and takes far longer.

a reply to: JAGStorm

We headed to Costco for a tank fill-up & a few staples that needed restocked.

Like coffee, that is crucial to the survival of everyone else around me.

Anyway, we got in & out of Costco in less than 10 minutes. Freaking unheard of. The line at the pumps took longer.


And no, I'm not noticing my neighbors purchasing more to be delivered. If anything, our delivery truck rates dropped off a cliff.


Middle Class America is flat broke.

a reply to: Nyiah

Middle Class America is flat broke.

Winner winner chicken dinner

In my area more box have been coming from Amazon the closer we get to Christmas.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: v1rtu0s0
The news just manufactures headlines based on whatever narrative the deep state wants to be heard.

I think so, there is no way anyone can believe this year is record breaking unless it’s record breaking lows!

Doesn't surprise me if sale numbers are high; the volume of purchases is low, but those that made purchases on average paid double for the items they bought because they "thought" they were on sale.

I had items in my amazon wishlist cart, and every one of them was double on black Friday. 12$ items were on sale for 80% off and they cost 24$. Items that were 16$ were on sale for 80% off and selling for $32.

People are broke, the people who have money are going to be made broke. How could the price of goods be so high because of inflation, and record lows on wages, and record highs on rent/mortgages, but people are out "spending" large amounts?

I'm seeing a fair amount of packages on people's doorsteps here. The stores, however, are business as usual--no more, no less.
Over the years, no one in our immediate family has gone Black Friday shopping, we aren't crowd people. But with the times the way they are, it looks like it was a pretty ordinary day at the stores.
There aren't many stores where we live by the way, so they ones we do have theoretically should crowd up pretty good as they service two counties, but they don't. Well, not this year.
People are too broke now for the most part anyway. Lots of kids getting a nice pair of socks for Christmas in America.

The only traffic in our small village is UPS and FedEx trucks and the contractors in their cars full of boxes.