Christmas sales are UP and that's a sign the economy is getting better.

[Lefty48197]

For the last couple of years, I've witnessed the George W. Bush apologists try desperately to find any sign of good economic news as it relates to Christmas retail sales totals. Any piece of news that can be twisted to fit their propogand campaign is game.
For example, after Thanksgiving weekend this year, most of the reports showed that sales were not going to be great. Visa, however had a report that showed that charge account sales were up significantly over last year (during Thankgiving weekend). Soon, the right wing was able to get their media friends to report the Visa story. They obviously don't realize what's going on when charge account dept skyrockets. Their euphoria was soon squashed when Walmart started adjusting their projected sales totals downward.

Lately, they've been trying to tell us that _____ % of Christmas sales actually occur in JANUARY, when the gift certificates are redeemed, and people actually spend 2 or 3 times the amount of the gift certificate. "As soon as those gift certificates are redeemed, then we'll have proof that GWB's tax cuts for the rich have helped the economy.", they'll tell us.

It would be nice if we had a 'clearinghouse' of links to stories about how dissapointing Christmas sales were this year. That way, we would have the information at our fingertips just ready to be pulled out, when any of them try to claim that the sales are up, and that the economy is getting better.

Here's one link:
http://www.detnews.com/2004/business/0412/27/A01-42718.htm

[Lefty48197]

1. Here's another link: "Uneasy retailers cutting prices" 12/28/04

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20041228/3b_retail_28.art.htm

"Retailers are drastically slashing prices in a bid to bring the holiday shopping season to a successful end"

Here's one of those quotes that you can expect the right wingers to pick up on and repeat:

"“One of the more remarkable things was a late surge in online sales in the final week before Christmas,” says Dan Hess of online market research firm ComScore Networks. “Historically, the peak day is around the seventh of December,” he says, but online sales showed “real strength in the week ending Dec. 19.” Among the fastest-growing online categories: home and garden products, apparel and food."

Another article on the same page had the response to that above claim:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20041228/3b_retailstox_28.art.htm

"Dan Geiman of McAdams Wright Ragen warns investors against reading too much into Monday's news. “Holiday (Internet) sales broke a record? That should be a given. It would have only been news if it didn't happen,” he says."

We must make it our full time hobbies to confront the incessant propoganda machine that comes out of the White House. They will search high and low, just like they have done for the last few years, to find ANY shred of evidence that the economy wasn't irreparably damaged by GWB's give-away of the national surplus. Don't let them get away with it. Be prepared to argue the facts.

[Lefty48197]

2. From USA Today Pg 1B - 4Jan2005

"Walmart gets after-Christmas rally
Walmart stores, which struggled throughout the holiday shopping season, says it expects sales for December will be up 3% because of strong sales the week after Christmas. The retailer was forced to lower its estimate to a range of 1% to 3% from 3% to 5% early in the season. Consumers, already reluctant to spend amid higher fuel costs, shunned the low-price leader for steeper discounts at competitors."

Let me get this straight: They predicted sales increases of 3 to 5% over last year, and wound up with a 3% increase, and we are supposed to believe that there was a rally of some kind?

[Deja Q]

3. Kick

:kick:

I wish I could contribute more at the moment, but if I find something, I'll be back.