Holiday Sales Slump Strategy is Full of Hot Air

With the economy tanking, those usual fourth quarter holiday sales might not be as strong this year (to say the least).

What's the game plan? Lower prices? More Easy/Flex/Value Pay? More product for the money? Free shipping?

Nah! Who needs that?

Apparently, the angle is that it's cheaper than all the gas you'd use up driving to the store to shop.

According to SeattleTimes.com, mass merchants and warehouse clubs should be the strongest performers this year. TNS Retail Forward, of Columbus, Ohio, said "nonstore retailers," including home-shopping television merchants and online and mail-order stores, could have above-average sales gains as consumers look for ways to cut back on shopping trips to save gas.

I know gas ain't cheap, but seriously??? If the shipping were free then I would go for this argument, but shipping just keeps going up--way more than the cost to drive to the store, especially if you are ordering more then one item.

And, actually, the mall is on my way home from work.

They need to suck it up and offer impossible-to-resist bargains to get those holiday sales up. And please, please, please do NOT encourage the hosts to take a harder sell approach.

Ho-Ho-Ho!!!