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December 6, 2002
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Shopping facts, tips, gift ideas
for students
Behrend students may be too old for Santa, but they're never too
old for holiday gifts.
by Alyssa Peconi
and Jenna Dominick
staff writers
The holiday season is upon us once again
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and
Christmas is just around the corner. With six
fewer shopping days this year, consumers are
frantically using their purchasing power many
different ways.
The percentage of people buying from
infomercials increased to 50 percent, up from
30 percent the previous year. The reasons for
this increase were lack of availability from
elsewhere, and also convenience.
Speaking of convenience, more and more
people are shopping online now. Studies show
that online sales are up from last year. The
Friday after Thanksgiving is when sales
skyrocketed. Dubbed "Black Friday,"
companies saw their acCOunting books go from
red to black as consumers racked up $231.5
million on Friday alone.
Online companies offer free shipping and
orders can be placed later, guaranteeing of on
time delivery. Experts say that the peak of online
shopping will be around Dec. 12-13, and orders
will drop off around Dec. 19.
Friends and Significant Others
The Saturday before Christmas is supposedly Shop for a poster of their favorite actor or
the busiest shopping day of the year. However, musician on allposters.com, or give the gift of a
in the three days following Turkey Day, the candy or flower assortment from 1-800-
public spent $272.1 million in stores flowers.com. DVDs, movies, and CDs are also
nationwide. These numbers are up 67 percent great, inexpensive gifts. In light of the cold
from last year.
weather, hats, gloves, and scarf sets are in order.
Experts are not sure as to whether or not For a college student, phone calling cards are a
consumers will spend more this holiday season. great stocking-stuffer, and PSU apparel spreads
About one-third will spend less, but individual seasonal and school spirit. And to keep friends
spending may increase as much as three to five occupied, entertained, and up-to-date, give them
percent, they predict. The average shopper will a subscription to their favorite magazine.
spend $1,656, up from $1,564 in 2001.
Following some guidelines can make the
shopping experience less stressful for the gift
giver and more enjoyable for the receiver. First,
make a list of people who will be receiving gifts.
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the Beacon's h,oriday shop til you drop
Inside
Next, plan out possible ideas and also a spending
budget. Keep in mind shipping charges for
catalog and online purchases. Scout out stores
and shop around; don't be afraid to go out of town
for gifts. For example, check out the Prime
Outlets in Grove City, and on the way, explore
the town of Volant, near Grove City.
The list inevitably includes hard-to-shop-for
people, from parents and grandparents, to friends
and significant others. Some gift hints and tips
to help make the shopping season brighter.
Parents and Grandparents
A themed gift basket is always appreciated.
Bath supplies are needed and thoughtful, while a
beverage basket is enjoyable, too. Put in some
tea or coffee, a mug, and various flavorings, and
voila, instant gift. Books are a classic idea; find
out what the person is interested in, or a gift
certificate is nice. Household items are useful,
as a decorative pillow or throw or candles would
be charming.
Another idea is a picture with frame. To make
it more personal, have the frame engraved with a
special message. Or encourage the receiver to
take their own pictures with a new camera, such
as the new FUJI Ql. IT comes in various colors
and offers drop-in loading film and is about $4O.
continued on page 4
HUMOR 11
A&E 12
SPORTS 1-48
Black Friday turns green
with record profits
by Lauren Packer
staff writer
Discount shoppers took retailers by storm on
Black Friday. Armed with circulars, bonus
coupons, and two-way radios, holiday shoppers
blew away the predictions of a sluggish start to
the holiday shopping season.
A climbing jobless rate, tension with Iraq,
decreased consumer spending, and the West Coast
port shut down were not enough to keep
consumers away.
The shoppers lined up outside discount stores
to take advantage of the extremely low prices.
Others lined up early to buy the must-have gifts
of this season: Nintendo Game Boy Advance,
DVD players, and Bratz dolls.
Discount retail giant Wal-Mart had a record
setting day, boasting $1.43 billion nationally. That
figure is up from $1.25 billion last year. J.C'.
Penney &. Co. also had record sales on Black
Friday.
The National Retail Federation predicts a four
percent rise in sales this holiday, down slightly
from the 5.6 percent increase predicted last year.
Other analysts aren't so confident in the market season is six days shorter than last year thanks ti
or in consumer spending and predict a modest late Thanksgiving. Fear of a U.S. led war with
two percent increase in the holiday season. Iraq has many consumers resting uneasy.
The Friday after Thanksgiving is termed "Black Black Friday isn't necessarily a good forecast of
Friday" because it is a day when retailers move
out of red debt and into black profits in their
accounting books. Retailers are hoping at least
to break even this holiday season. The lack of
trust in the market has hurt retailers already. Some FRIDAY
stores have cut back on their stock merchandise
in order to prevent having to lower prices
drastically after Christmas to get rid of the leftover
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inventory
But what is it that makes Black Friday so
effective, especially in this year's tough market?
According to CNN, the one thing that consumers
want this shaky holiday season is bargain basement
prices coupled with promotional giveaways.
And so far, retailers have met the consumers'
demands.
Wal-Mart advertised a 27-inch television for
$149. DVD players and other electronic devices
had their prices cut in half to attract customers.
Retail clothing giant J.C. Penney opened at 6
a.m. with early-bird specials to draw customers
from the discount shoppers of stores like Wal-Mart.
Target, and Toys "R" Us. J.C. Penney was able to
slash prices on all items in store, even offering 50
percent off all leather coats and jackets. The store
threw in - a free Mickey Mouse snow globe for
customers who braved the early hours and chaotic
atmosphere of Black Friday shopping.
The Bon-Ton offered 10-15 percent savings on
sale prices and gave away $l5 to the first 300
customers.
But the good start to the holiday season doesn't
necessarily mean it will stay strong. This shopping
continued on page 4