Stuffing Turkeys; Stuffing Shopping Bags

 By Denisha Stevens, Executive Vice President, Consumer Marketing

Americans will soon follow the tradition of stuffing turkeys and gathering around the dinner table with family and friends. Meanwhile, retailers are wondering if the economy will have an impact on that other holiday tradition - - stuffing our shopping baskets. A review of recent headlines reveals a range of predictions for the 2011 season.

Highlights - Consumer Reports 2011 Holiday Shopping Poll:

• Cutting Back. One in three consumers plan on cutting back on purchases this holiday season, while others plan on sticking to a tight holiday budget.

• It’s All About the Deal. The economy, it seems, has had an impact on shopper mindset. Forty-four percent of those surveyed believe that getting a great deal on purchases is even more important than it was last holiday season.

• Can’t Beat a Good Sweater. As usual, apparel remains a hot gift this season followed by electronics. Cash and gift cards also are popular. Surprisingly, a quarter of those surveyed report having unused gift cards from 2011. Lack of time to shop and not finding the items they wanted were the top reasons cited.

Highlights - National Retail Federation’s 2011 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey:

• Shopping Slowdown. Approximately 62 percent of Americans will put the brakes on their holiday shopping this year due to the economy, but slowing down doesn’t mean doing without. Research indicates consumers plan on shelling out approximately $704.18 on holiday gifts and other seasonal items.

• Early Bird Gets the Sale. While annoying to some, it’s no coincidence retailers have started introducing holiday displays earlier and earlier in recent years. Nearly 40 percent of consumers kicked off their shopping before Halloween. Another 40 percent will begin crossing things off their holiday shopping lists in early November.

• Dare to Compare. Many consumers will put their shopping savvy to the test this year to stretch their holiday budgets. Top money-saving activities include making a shopping list in advance and sticking to it, along with aggressive couponing and comparison shopping.

• Smartphones Make Smart Shoppers. Nearly 46 percent of holiday shoppers will buy online this year and a growing number of consumers are turning to mobile devices to give them an edge. In addition to making online purchases, they are using devices to research products and pinpoint sales from their favorite retailers.

• Better to Self-Gift Than to Receive? A surprising shopping trend during these challenging economic times is the move toward self-giving. This isn’t about volunteering or donating to a worthy cause, it’s about putting your own name at the top of your shopping list. Approximately six out of 10 shoppers plan to make purchases for themselves this holiday season.

Whether it’s for you or for a family member, get out and get a jump on your holiday shopping after the turkey is devoured and the dishes are cleared. Your local retailers will be thankful.

Shopping on a Mission

 Helen Vollmer, President, Edelman Southwest


I admit it—I am prone to impulse purchases while shopping. And it’s not so much that I’m compulsive as it is that I am absolutely smitten when I see good marketing of any kind. A good end aisle display will stop me dead in my tracks (gotta love Frito Lay, Pepsi and any wall of cheese). I am a sucker for sampling whether it’s at the grocery store, at an event, or especially appreciated these days, on airlines. Helpful assistants at Whole Foods or Home Depot can easily convince me that I need to upsize whatever it is I’m buying. Don’t even talk to me about the makeup counter.

But like everyone else these days, my buying behavior has changed so that those impulse purchases are less frequent. I hone in on what I want in front of my laptop or cell phone before I even make it into a store.

I have become what retail analysts call a ‘surgical shopper.” I pre-select what I want, the price I’m willing to pay and the convenience of where I should go to look at it before hopping in my car. Mission shoppers visit fewer stores—three per trip, down from five pre-recession, according to ShopperTrak. And because we’re browsing less when in a store, we don’t buy stuff we hadn’t planned on purchasing in advance.

But the retail industry is catching up with us. Stores are adding Wi-Fi and iPads to better respond to customers’ inventory questions or even help virtually assemble what the perfect outfit would look like. And, yes, old fashioned customer service is making a comeback as sales associates are now being schooled in how to read body language, or learn to start casual conversations as opposed to ignoring us as we search for a manned check-out counter.

In short, retailers have to try harder when they get us in their stores. Because, let’s be honest, it’s their job to sell us more stuff and to stimulate the economy, right?

I am absolutely planning to do my part this holiday season in helping them get this right. Even so, I want them to wow me and make it an experience that turns me into a loyal customer. What about you?

Thanksgiving Travel Just Got Easier. Again!

  By Mattie Walker, Assistant Account Executive

There are three things most of us can count on during the Thanksgiving holiday: food, football … and travel delays. With Turkey Day just around the corner, frustration and irritation will soon be in the air as millions of American travelers prepare to make their holiday trek. Everyone knows the two days leading up to Thanksgiving are typically the busiest travel days of the year. What everyone may not be aware of is that, for the 11th consecutive year, Travelocity's Thanksgiving Task Force will be providing live updates and breaking news to travelers from some of the busiest airports in the United States.


Thanksgiving Task Force spotters will be on hand from sun up until sun down on November 23rd and 24th, delivering information on security lines, weather delays, flight updates, etc. While Travelocity's spotters cannot shift a blizzard's path or give Uncle Ted a heads up that 20-year-old brandy cannot be carried through security, their tips and insight can alert travelers about new TSA rules, advise on when to arrive at the airport, provide tips on items that need to be packed instead of checked and make suggestions on what to do if your flight is delayed or canceled.

Headaches while traveling might be inevitable, but why not rely on our veteran Thanksgiving travel experts to help you out? You can find them on Twitter, too, where they’ll be tweeting observations from the U.S. airports listed below.

2011 TTF Spotters Locations:

• Dallas / Fort Worth International (DFW) - @flyfromdallas
• LaGuardia (LGA) - @flyfromnewyork
• Los Angeles International (LAX) - @flyfromla
• O’Hare International (ORD) - @flyfromchicago
• Washington Dulles International (IAD) - @flyfromdc

Beyond the Tofurkey: Non-Traditional Traditions

 By Kim Tillinghast, Vice President

During the most highly traveled weekend of the calendar year, it’s no surprise that many consumers prefer to avoid two-lane highways and TSA officials. But whether they stay or go, one thing is for certain: while classic American traditions certainly exist, new traditions abound. Foodies may forgo turkey, dressing and tryptophan-induced naps for multi-cultural flavors and pairings, and consumers with abundant frequent flier miles may instead venture over the ocean and to the cabana.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving marked 2010’s single busiest travel day. The national Airline Quality Rating indicates that while performance quality has steadily improved since 2007, the holiday season is never exempt. Fewer seats, additional passengers and inclement weather (hello, O’Hare!) will continue to elevate costs and stress. But for those with no choice but to fly, selecting a best-performing airline such as Jet Blue, Air Tran or Southwest can increase chances of a smooth experience.

Perhaps it’s all in the destination: a flight to paradise may feel less strenuous, by nature, than a trip to visit in-laws. For some, such distance makes the heart grow fonder, and an annual trip to Hawaii or the Bahamas becomes a Turkey Day tradition. After all, nothing says “I’m thankful” like an umbrella drink and a stretch of white sand.

Others living hundreds of miles from loved ones may not have the luxury of traveling home for Thanksgiving, so non-nuclear families of friends, roommates and neighbors gather to eat and give thanks. During my years in Los Angeles, many of us found ourselves stymied by pricey holiday plane tickets and, therefore, Thanksgiving was spent – quite happily – with likeminded locals.

No matter where November 24 finds you – in front of the TV with a slice of pie, perhaps? – in the true spirit of Thanksgiving we should all make a point to give back. Countless opportunities await our attention: donating clothes, toys, food and/or blood, participating in a Habitat for Humanity project, serving food at a local shelter, or even helping a neighbor with much-needed childcare, errands or a home-cooked meal. For to whom much is given, much is required, and we have much for which to be thankful.