Is anyone spending?

[Dice34]

Asking this question to everyone. As you know the Holidays are upon us and just want to know what the hell is going on?.......I run a retail store.. MY #'s from last year are off 50%.....the problem I see is that I'm in a mall and that people just don't have the money when they get here cuz they spent it at Target or Wal-mart, plus the price of oil and gas. Most of the other stores I talked to are experiencing the same.

Anybody else in the retail business? I hoping that people are just procrastinating......Another problem I forgot to include, more and more people just don't have time to go shopping and they are in turn shopping from home via the internet. Oye Vey!

 

[budhachi]

Hate to say it, but my wife and I did ALL of our shopping via the net. Here in So Cal the malls are filled with rude, smelly, sick parents and kids who do not speak a dime of english. I can watch TV, take care of the 3 yr old, bet on games, watch games and shop almost every store that is in the mall from the comfort of my leather high back chair.

I feel for you bro, this is the trend of America.

 

[cisco]

I agree...No Malls for me.

But my wife will go to all of them.

 

[INtheBLUE]

because of what I do, I see what hundreds of retail shops are doing this year, and it seems to be even better than last year, what is shocking is how much the restaurants are down this year. I had expected the opposite. What type of business do you have??

 

[Blazer]

I manage the retail side of a five diamond property and I have noticed a fall back form the previous years numbers.

I know I shop online and I expect my clientele to do the same.

I have found that I sell a good amount over the phone. I have shipped more this year than last.

 

[Dice34]

I sell everything to do with NASCAR(independent store).....the month of Dec last year, I grossed $93,000, rent was $5,000 and payroll was $6,000. I cut the payroll back to under $4,000 and rent didnt change.

The only good thing about the situation is that everything is paid for in the store and there is close to $300,000 worth of product in here.

I'm just inside New Jersey and carry a few Philly things and Yankees, Jets and Giants but not much.

A side note to who I'm dealing with: a Big girl must of been buying for a big friend of hers, preceeds to say to her other big friend, that she is so sweaty. Yummy!

IntheBlue the other retail stores are you talking about chains? I'm sure Wal-Mart and Target are raking it in and both are within a half-mile of this piece of shit mall.

The guy next door to me sells reprint paintings and pictures and does all the framing and crap, hes been here for 15 years(only my 2nd) and his #'s are off 30-50% also. But I'll tell ya what a money racket he has. He makes 3 to 5 hundred percent on his sales.

 

[INtheBLUE]

IntheBlue the other retail stores are you talking about chains? I'm sure Wal-Mart and Target are raking it in and both are within a half-mile of this piece of shit mall.

Mostly mom and pops over the southeast. We even have shops like yours in Georgia and Alabama that are our clients. I checked and they seem to be doing about the same as last year, But, keep in mind, all I can see is their credit card sales. They may be taking in less cash than last year.

 

[ImFeklhr]

I run the website for a upscale shoe retailer. Business is definitly up online (33%ish) from last year, but mostly even at our 3 retail stores.

Even if you just start out with a low-investment hokey website, it is worth the incremental orders.

 

[dawgball]

I would also looking at starting your web presence by going to ebay. Very little upstart cost.

I do all of my shopping online because of the trend of free shipping. I just don't see the point in going to the mall unless I am going to buy something to wear in the next couple of days.

Sorry to hear that your business is down.

 

[Palmetto Pimp]

Malls SUCK

Get on the internet

 

[MadJack]

went to the mall today. i have NEVER SEEN IT SO BUSY! absolutely ridiculous. i will be very surprised to see a down season for retail.

the sad thing is; people are loading up the plastic and going into debt big time and that is NOT a good idea at all. they're buying though, that for should!

 

[wox11]

WENT TO THE MALL IN BOARDMAN, OH. SOUTHERN PARK MALL & IT WAS A ZOO.


DID SOME ON-LINE BUYING & MAJORITY WAS DONE AT MALLS & STORES!!

 

[mode the lode]

im in the auto bus. NEW CARS, i run a store, GEN MNGR. for 36 yrs. i have been in the new car retail bus. THIS IS THE 2ND WORSE SLUMP I HAVE SEEN IN 36 YRS.

 

[chickenman]

I own a fast food restaurant in Texas and we are up about 20% this holiday season over last year and last year was our best year ever. I don't know how or why, but people are still eating out. I have a buddy in the business that manages an upscale "chain" restaurant and he said they are down. Maybe people aren't eating as many "nice" meals and sticking to fast food. Whatever it is, I hope it never ends.

Hopefully people are just waiting until the last minute to shop and you will get slammed this weekend and all next week.

Good Luck.

By the way, do you have any Harvick items?

CM

 

[LuckyIrish]

Christmas shopping on the internet isnt Christmas shopping to me...We have a major mall near me and I love going Shopping there...the crowds on the weekends are bad but my family and I enjoy the rustle and bustle of it all.
So...yes...We are shopping at the Malls,outlets,Wal-Mart and kmart.

 

[mode the lode]

AMEN TO THAT. I HATE MALLS , BUT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IS All ABOUT GOING OUT TO SHOP.

 

[INtheBLUE]

I really like going to the mall because of all the women out, and its easy to start conversations this time of year. Got 4 dates out of last weekend's shopping trip, and I went to help my friend, who is an attractive girl, shop for her husband. She picked 2 of the girls up for me. Introduced us and then said we would be good together. 2 mins later had digits. Coolest friend ever. Merry Christmas!

 

[Dice34]

I went to another Mall last nite after work, to check it out (20 mins away), it was loaded. I was like damn, I'm in the wrong mall. Oh well, Life goes on.....just need a big week this week.

IntheBlue Yeah I was doing the same thing to last nite but only I was with my girlfriend, shes not fond of me scoping. Then she said "I dunno what I'd do without you, I'd be lost." Shes like what would you do without me, I said move to South America and open up a little bar. She didnt talk to me the rest of the night.

MadJack Talking to my dad about the same thing, people are going overboard on the plastic and I sometimes think with the intentions of not paying it. I could see a few credit card companies folding over it, b/c people just don't have the money. Credit card companies are a joke to begin with and are begging for their money.

Perfect example: My dad had 12 grand on his credit card but he always uses it to pay for his employees meals and rooms out on the road every month. Lets say the min payment was $200. He'd never make just the min payment, sometimes it'd be $500, $800 or even $2000. Well one month he was late with his bill and his rate went up to 32%. Which didnt make him happy so next month went by he didnt pay his bill(on purpose) and the phone calls came. It was always some junior or somebody that had no control over anything so he was basically telling them to go fvck themselves, he wasn't paying anymore b/c of them upping the rate. Months later he got a call from some lady and they wanted to settle.....Long story short he ended up paying $4000 in one shot to cover the $12000+. Told the lady thanks, he never made $8000 in 15 secs and that you guys would of got all of it, if the percentage rate didn't shoot up like that


Well I've been open for an hour and I've seen 2 people walking around the mall and a broke down Security officer.