STORES Magazine - November 2008 - (Page 14)

trEnDS The government bailout may be working to shore up Wall Street, but shoppers are feeling as if they could use a boost of their own. In early October, as the financial recovery plan was being negotiated, BIGresearch took the pulse of U.S. consumers age 18 and older to determine how the current turmoil in the financial markets was affecting spending and how it’s likely to impact future spending. The Consumer Intentions and Actions survey found that 53 percent of the more than 8,000 consumers polled are spending less compared with the same period in 2007. Shoppers ages 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 have cut back on spending more significantly than the average consumer. In each instance, nearly 60 percent say they’re spending less than they did a year ago. Shoppers are reining in spending when it comes to dining out (45 percent), buying new clothes (41 percent) and taking vacations (37 percent). More than four in 10 shoppers (41 percent) expect to cut back on holiday spending; 37 percent are looking for sales more frequently, and 33 percent have started using coupons more often. Shoppers in the 18- to 24-year-old segment seem least affected by the turmoil: 12 percent claim to be spending more than they were last year, and only 34 percent will scale back holiday spending. As to the bailout itself, 42 percent said that, while they didn’t agree with the proposed plan, they felt the government needed to do something; 60 percent did not feel that the bailout would solve the current economic turmoil, and 80 percent are convinced it will cost taxpayers money. will allow: try not to repeat letters; use a combination of numbers and letters; use a combination of upper and lowercase letters. Another tip is to choose a long sentence for a password. If for some reason you’re not allowed to choose a long or complex password, then change it every three to four months. And if your password is 123456, password, qwerty, abc123, letmein or your first name – change it quickly. These are among the most common passwords used. Reflecting on 75 Years of Lacoste Lacoste is kicking off its 75th anniversary celebration with a special exhibit at Bloomingdale’s flagship store in Manhattan. Designed to invite shoppers to reflect on the brand’s history, the exhibit leads consumers through 14 STORES / NOVEMBER 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - November 2008

STORES Magazine - November 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Every Cup Counts What Shoppers Think Less Park Time, More Shop Time 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Retail Held Captive First Look Concept2Watch Marketing Technology Custom Software PCI Compliance Data Security Arts Update Newsbeat LP Issues: Q&A Cover Story Surveillance Systems Online Fraud Industry Perspective LOEB Retail Letter Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - November 2008

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