[lbo-talk] already thinking about post-Xmas sales

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>  > NEW YORK (December 22, 2004) - As the 2004
>>  holiday season comes to a close, consumers are
>>  already thinking about their post-Christmas
>>  shopping plans. According to a nationwide survey,
>>  commissioned by the International Council of
>>  Shopping Centers (ICSC) and UBS, one in five
>>  consumers definitely plan to shop on December 26,
>  > which this year falls on a Sunday.
>
>The prepaid gift card and gift certificate is the gift of choice to 
>give and receive among us serfs and peons.  Gives us more bang for 
>the buck when we hit those after Christmas sales in December and 
>inventory clearance sales in January!  Yi ha!
>
>No idea what the Neiman Marcus crowd does the day after.
>
>  - Deborah

One Asian custom (maybe just a Japanese and Chinese custom?) that 
always made sense to me and that I thought more modern and thoughtful 
than the Western way is that people give you money (cash, no checks) 
to buy things, instead of things they bought (which you may or may 
not like but must pretend to love anyway), to celebrate New Year's 
Day (the presents of money that parents, relatives, and family 
friends give children for this occasion are called otoshidama in 
Japan), graduation, wedding, and other big occasions.  Money is 
better than gift cards and certificates, because you can spend it 
anywhere (or even choose to save it for later).
-- 
Yoshie

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