Holiday shoppers hold back

Associated Press

SEATTLE — For years, a small band of Ecuadorian Indians has serenaded holiday shoppers at Westlake Center with bamboo flutes, goatskin drums, guitars and violins.

The players of Quichua Mashis make their money selling CDs and collecting tips tossed into instrument cases laid before them.

They’ve noticed something different this season. Befitting the shaky state of the world and the economy, their disc sales are way down — about 40 percent.

But their tips have skyrocketed.

"Everybody says ‘Merry Christmas, happy New Year,’ but they don’t have the money to buy the discs," says Luis Gramal, band manager. "We understand that. But more people are giving us a dollar here or there, and that shows people are generous, even if they don’t have the money."

On a good day any other year, the band might collect $100 in tips, Gramal says. On Friday, it collected $250.

Many shoppers have also noticed that things are different this year, following the Sept. 11 attacks. And it’s not simply that they’re spending less money, or that lines at gift-wrapping stations are shorter and store clerks more attentive.

"I’m looking for things not that people need, but things that make them feel good about their lives — cheerful stuff," says Annie Laurie Armstrong, 50, who splits her time between Seattle, New York and Philadelphia.

For example, Armstrong said, she picked out a small wire basket to decorate the desk of a workaholic friend.

"I think people have been more subdued, less eager to go out and buy presents," she said. "They’re being a little more thoughtful about how they spend their time, their money and their lives."

Holly Nelson, who manages the Watch Station International shop in the Westlake Center mall, agreed.

"Business stinks," she said. "It’s horrible."

The shop hoped to sell $3,000 in merchandise Saturday. By early afternoon, it had only reached $500. If business doesn’t improve, the store will have to close, Nelson said.

Like other stores — Old Navy had wool sweaters marked down from $58 to $9, said shopper Kathy Grimms — the watch shop offered some impressive bargains to lure customers.

But it had little luck. Some watches had been marked down from $150 to $49 for the past two weeks, and still hadn’t sold.

Nelson said she understood. She herself expected to spend $300 less on holiday shopping this year than last year.

The same went for her friend and co-worker, 22-year-old Holly Atwood.

"Usually I always get into Christmas shopping," Atwood said. "I just wasn’t as excited this year. There’s too much other stuff going on."

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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