Recent business stories state the nation’s economy is gaining steam. That’s always excellent news, but is especially appreciated this time of year. Why? Because we don’t want to see another headline, such as the one that appeared in a newspaper last year, that asks, “Can Christmas save the economy?”
That Christmas and retail shopping are entwined is a traditional given. The folks who try to fight it, especially those urging a shopping boycott the day after Thanksgiving, have a better chance of seeing reindeer fly. But the breathless anticipation of the retail revenue numbers two days after Thanksgiving is getting so old. An Associated Press story on Nov. 29 declared that traditional merchants were “nervous” after the weekend sales were “sluggish.”
Well, if we’re counting on Christmas to save the economy, can we at least let Christmas happen first? Can we let people shop first? Can nervous merchants relax a bit? People will always shop, they may just not super-duper-over-shop – wisely.
We already know, after all, what the January headlines will bring: “Consumer debt hits record high.”
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