It's no surprise that the hot gifts on everyone's wish lists this year will be electronics. Such items include flat-panel HDTVs, Apple's IPod and Microsoft's new Xbox 360. Now everyone likes to get a good deal on a hot product, but do we need to stomp, punch, mace and even shot people to get it? If you are a Walmart shopper, the answer is a boisterous YES! Maim, kill, whatever you need to do to get the job done so that tacky blowup snowman statue is in your cart with a $9.99 price tag on it. In Walmart stores across the country, patience grew thin while tempers rose escalating into assaults and full fledged riots!
In Des Moines, Idaho there was literally an XBox shootout requiring the use of overwhelming force by local S.W.A.T. teams and the deployment of the Iowa National guard. At the same store, a shopper punched a Walmart clerk in the face after he was informed that the product he was looking to buy was sold out. In Orlando, Florida a man cutting in line was attacked by a group of angry Walmart shoppers. Security had to be called in to handle the situation. In a Texas Walmart, an off duty police officer is accused of spraying mace into a crowd to "calm them". Finally in Grand Rapids, Michigan an elderly woman (as picture above) is one of the many who was trampled when Walmart doors opened and shoppers pushed their way in. What's wrong with these people? If saving some pennies is more important to you than who's geriatric body is cracking under your Nikes, then you have a serious problem.
Retailers have been offering rebates and other deals to get shoppers out since shortly after Halloween. While retailers where initially concerned about the impact of Katrina and other storms on product shipments, those fears have now largely disappeared. According to the National Retail Federation, on average shoppers spend $738 on gifts for friends, family and co-workers. This year the the NRF predicts a robust sales season with gains around 6%. However, only 13% of holiday shoppers began the annual consumer tradition today. The holiday shopping season is often the most important for most consumers with around 25% to 40% of retail sales taking place during the next 6 weeks. A whopping 59% of shoppers have started before Black Friday! (Who are these insane early birds?) This is a number that is increasingly rising. Of course for most men, Dec 24th still remains our biggest shopping day.
Early word from retailers indicates that this may be the start of a very happy holiday season...minus the trampled old lady still lying on the ground at Walmart. Ahh, the spirit of the holiday season is in full affect now. Can you feel it? Love, I mean blood, is in the air. I leave you with a great quote from one Walmart store manager by the name of Alexander Hayes. After he himself had been trampled by shoppers and tasered by police, Hayes told reporters that next year Walmart will most likely not "roll back prices" so low on Black Friday. Finally, a "Walmarter" with some common sense. Until then, I guess let the bodies hit the floor. It's a free-for-all out there people, so use caution when picking up that perfect gift. You may very well have to shed blood, sweat and tears to do it.
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