Stores open for 100 hours to attract shoppers

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO

NEW YORK (AP) - Some stores are ending the holiday shopping season the same way they began it - with round-the-clock, marathon shopping hours.

Kohl's for the first time is staying open for essentially five days straight, from 6 a.m. on Friday through 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Macy's and Kmart are opening some of their stores for more than 100 hours in a row from Friday through Christmas Eve. And Toys R Us is staying open for 87 hours straight starting on Saturday, which is typically the second biggest shopping day of the year.

The expanded hours in the final days before Christmas are reminiscent of how some retailers typically begin the season on the day after Thanksgiving known as Black Friday. The strategy comes as stores try to recoup lost sales during a season that's been hobbled by a number of factors.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20131221/DAAQGH800.html

---

In this Nov. 28, 2013 file photo, a shopper who declined to give his name waits outside a Kmart store for it to open in Anaheim, Calif. Some retailers, disappointed by sales so far during the holiday shopping season, are staying open for up to 81 hours straight, starting the weekend before Christmas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

[dipsydoodle]

1. Banksy's card sums that up quite well.

Last edited Sat Dec 21, 2013, 08:47 AM - Edit history (1)

[mother earth]

2. I had not seen this, dipsydoodle, quite appropriate. Never really knew much about Banksy, what a

mind, and gift.

I like his message.

[dipsydoodle]

13. Banky is an English street / graffiti artist

whose works comment largely on social matters. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy

If you google Banksy and then hit images you'll see a wide variety of subjects on which he made pictorial comment. When topical you'll find his pictures here on DU from time to time. Here for example : http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024192648

[mother earth]

15. TY. :) nt

[Judi Lynn]

12. Glad he did this. It should be seen by multitudes. n/t

[TBF]

3. Enough is enough -

I will be buying some groceries for a holiday meal and picking up prescriptions. Just relaxing w/the kids now and if there are any gift cards to spend I'll deal with that in January. I've had enough of the rampant consumerism.

[llmart]

8. You and me both.....

but I had enough of the rampant consumerism years ago when I was still a young woman. Now I just stay away from all this nonsense and it's easier to since I don't have small children any longer, no grandchildren and barely enough income to pay my basic bills. I'll be damned if I'm going to waste what money I do have on crap from China and as someone down thread said, "more shit".

How much shit do people need anyway? Christmas is nothing like it used to be or is supposed to be.

[TBF]

9. Thankfully my kids are getting older -

we asked them what they wanted and they are both into gaming. Mostly they want games and books that are related - easy to order online. I do like to go to local restaurants and shops. I've never liked the big box stores - but when I was young in the 70s my dad was a union worker in a factory. My parents saw very clearly that stores like Walmart would ruin the small downtowns ...

[Hestia]

4. Hmm, could it be that people don't have the money for spending sprees? They're barely

able to afford food much less the newest tech gadget. Maybe, just maybe, we should have a long hard look at where consumer spending is 70% of the economy and now the onus seems to be on employees to work 24/7 to get those sales quotas up.

Also - wonder how many more Target stories we are going to hear of after this round the clock selling and buying of goods. Who wants to go to a store anymore?

[Cal Carpenter]

5. More time open doesn't mean more sales, does it?

It just means the people who shop in the middle of the night won't come in the next day. It's not like more time means there is a larger pool of potential customers. Maybe the store that stays open longer will get a few extra folks who may have gone elsewhere, but I can't imagine that is offset by the labor and utility costs of staying open.

I can only hope this is the hail mary death throes of big box capitalist hell. Wishful thinking, I know.

[Earth_First]

6. Fuck this trend.

Before you know it, retail will run 24-hours a day from Thanksgiving through Christmas.

Because you know, you need more shit to inspire love and fellowship around the holidays.

So sick of it all.

[KoKo]

7. Desperate Retailers?

The stores I shop in seemed overstocked this Fall. They would have racks of newly arrived merchandise and it would be marked down 50% already. These were good brand names...but, nothing seemed to be moving. They were practically giving things away when you add in the constant extra 20% coupons.

I think the economy in some areas for the Middle Class and Poor is not going well. The New York Stores and major cities maybe have the 1% buying at the high end boutique shops...but, I don't see in my city the same Christmas craze of years past. People don't seem to be going all out in their outside house decorations this year as much.

[yuiyoshida]

10. Amazing isn't it?

The Republicans ruined the economy and than HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY there's a war on CHRISTMAS. IF people can not afford to buy stuff this year, they HAVE THE REPUBLICANS TO THANK.

[TexasTowelie]

11. I went to the mall at about five o'clock on a weekday this past week.

I couldn't believe how little activity there was walking around, yet alone purchasing any items. Keeping the stores open longer does not translate into additional sales.

[magical thyme]

14. after several years of essentially no Christmas, I did shop a little this year

My winter boots barely made it through last year, so I replaced them. And with the upcoming rain/freezing rain predictions, I decided to splurge on a new raincoat. Haven't had bought one in over 20 years and my old slicker doesn't leave room for layers underneath plus water seeps in through the seams, so I rarely bother to wear it anymore. I got tired of ending up with soaking through one jacket or sweatshirt after another while caring for my pony, and ended up with every heat duct having my drenched clothes drying over it. My new one is warm, lined with flannel, pretty and leaves room for 2 sweats underneath so really warm.

And my 9 year old lab-cross really feels the cold now, so I got both of my dogs 2nd coats plus rubber-footed socks, so they'll have double layers and hopefully warmer, dry feet when the temps really go down.

24x7 stores didn't make any difference before and won't now. They'll just cost more to stay open, make some poor schleps have to stay up all night for a pittance.

[Brigid]

17. I have never seen just desperation on the part of retailers . . .

As I have this year. Never. Or is it just me?