Holiday Shopping Trends

Washington Post staff writers Ylan Q. Mui and Margaret Webb Pressler were online to discuss holiday shopping trends, both online and at traditional retailers.

A transcript follows .

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Olney, Md.: Hi. I'm posting early as I'm heading out to the malls early to get some shopping done.

What do you think about gift cards? I think they are a gift that is given with little thought, but more of my friends are asking for them. The dilemma is that they are practically worthless unless you're willing to pony up more than $50 a person. If you have five or six people on your list, that's a lot of money - much less than just getting a gift.

What is the proper amount? And are gift cards really the gift-without-a-thought I perceive them to be?

Ylan Q. Mui: Gift cards were huge last year and getting even bigger this year. A retail trade group even puts gift cards as third on consumers' wish lists. That means that even even if you might feel a little chintzy giving it, it's clearly what people are asking for!

Lots of retailers are also finding ways to make gift cards seem more personal, so that they don't feel like a last-minute gift. Wal-Mart, for example, is letting you put your own photos on the gift card. Gucci offers a gift card that is packaged so that it looks like a box of chocolates!

But the proper amount to put on the card is really up to you and what you can afford. Just be aware that some cards have expiration dates or even "dormancy fees" that add up if you don't use them.

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Washington, D.C.: Was Cyber Monday all hype or did it pan out? Did not see you guys closing the loop on that.

Margaret Webb Pressler: Hi everyone! HOpe the shopping is going well. As to Cyber Monday, it does appear that it was a VERY big day. Visa reports a record day of $505 million in charges that day--and that's about half of everything charged online. That's a 26 percent jump over Cyber Monday last year, and a 10 percent jump over the previous biggest day of this year. CardStore.com reports that sales on Monday doubled and set a one-day record. BabyUniverse.com reports that sales were up 40 percent on Cyber Monday over last year, but interestingly, people were spending 10 percent less time on the site, on average. So it seems online shoppers are getting more efficient! Good news to employers everywhere...

Ylan Q. Mui: I'm working on a story today that will run tomorrow about November sales results that will wrap in some of that Cyber Monday information. Really, the Internet is becoming an increasingly big player in holiday shopping.

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: Help. My 6 year old definitely wants high-tech toys for Christmas. How can I make him happy without breaking the bank or making him a Gameboy addict?

washingtonpost.com: Tech Gift Guide

Margaret Webb Pressler: I certainly don't want to be responsible for your 6 year old's christmas, and I'm not sure what break the bank means to you, but...There are a few less expensive high tech toys out there that might be worth considering. One is a little i-pod like mp3 player from disney that you can find at Target if you hurry. It's called the Mix stick. It's only $49.99--which is a lot for a kid, but not a lot for an mp3 player. That could go a long way to satisfying the little tyke if he likes listening to music. There are a few relatively inexpensive digital cameras, too, though I don't think they've yet conquered that technology on the cheap. Good luck.

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Bethesda, Md.: Please tell me Ugg boots are finally on their way out?! Are there any similar "must-haves" for this year???

Margaret Webb Pressler: Ugg boots are on the way out if you ask the fashionistas--they are all flocking to cowboy boots. It's a look that's great for now, but be prepared to look foolish in them at this time next year! However, I should add that one retailer in connecticut I talked to, who runs three huge shoe stores, said he can't keep Uggs in stock. Ugh.

Ylan Q. Mui: Personal confession: I have put my (admittedly knock-off) Uggs in storage in favor of slouchy shearling boots and a pair of Fryes!!! I love them, though I'll probably put them in storage next year in favor of something else!

This year, furry boots seem to be big. Check out Payless -- some seriously great styles!

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Arlington, Va.: I'm confused - do people research purchases online and buy them in brick and mortar stores, or check out items in the mall and buy them online?

Margaret Webb Pressler: People clearly do both. The big push among retailers that have online and traditional store distribution channels is to make them interact more seamlessly so that people will jump from one to the other. I'm a little too impulsive to cross-shop like that. If I see something online that I like, I tend to buy it right then and there. LIkewise in stores. I'm too busy to hunt! What do the chatters out there do?

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Columbia, Md.: I heard someone say that the late arrival of Hanukkah this year (it begins after Christmas) was affecting retail sales. Have you seen any evidence of this?

Ylan Q. Mui: Actually, I was just speaking to an analyst this morning who was talking about the sales lull after Thanksgiving. A lot of people are predicting a big last-minute holiday push, with post-Christmas and January becoming increasingly busy. Gift cards and, this year, Hanukkah are both big reasons for that.

Margaret Webb Pressler: You would be amazed how seemingly little things like calendar dates and holiday dates and weather affect retail. No wonder they're a stressed out bunch. Every year retailers also attribute stronger or weaker spring sales to when Easter falls. So, yes, Hanukkah could very well slow things down a bit this year. Its the years with a late Thanksgiving that are really a killer though--that's when retailers start talking about "fewer shopping days" in the holiday season. I've always thought that sounded funny.

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Fairfax, Va.: So people really lined up at 5 a.m. to buy four-dollar slow cookers at Wal-Mart? Was that what they had in mind, or were they hoping to get the plasma tv?

Ylan Q. Mui: I think a lot of folks were going for the electronics bargains -- I don't think there is a run on slow cookers!! Actually, there was a fight broke out at the Wal-Mart on Kingstowne, I think, in Alexandria at 5 a.m. Friday morning. A woman was sent to the hospital!

Margaret Webb Pressler: People will buy anything if there's a frenzy mentality. Why do you think the stores keep opening up earlier and earlier? It creates a scene! It creates excitement! It creates lots of unnecessary purchases!

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Gucci Gift Cards?!: Really? Can Santa bring me one of those? Seriously though - any word on when Gucci and those other plush stores being built in Chevy Chase will open? Can we start shopping there now or do we have to wait until after the holidays?

Ylan Q. Mui: They've already startd opening! I know that Dior and Ralph Lauren are up and running, and Barney's is scheduled to open this month. Most of the stores should be open by Christmas, and everything will be done in March. The stores are doing "soft openings" for now, and the big grand opening will come in the spring.

But I heard that Ralph Lauren is serving sparkling water to customers and that's it's filled with Purple Label.

Margaret Webb Pressler: See, you can't get that experience with a gift card!

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Vienna, Va.: My family has decided that we will "adopt" a family in each of our neighborhoods (or Gulf Coast region) and use the $$ we would have spent on each other to assist that family. Nice idea and prevents our houses with filling up with more stuff.

Is it horrible to donate something in a good friend's name when you usually exchange gifts? I want to make that an option with some close friends but don't want to be rude.

Ylan Q. Mui: I don't think it's horrible, no! (Full disclosure: I'm from New Orleans, so you know I'm biased.) But it all depends on the friend. Maybe ask them first? Something like, "I was hoping to just donate this holiday season and would like to donate to a charity in your honor." And then maybe get all those close friends together for coffee/dinner/whatever to celebrate. Because at the end of the day, the holiday season should really be about spending time with friends and family. It's cliche, but it's true!

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Silver Spring, Md.: Will Maryland be doing a no sales tax week soon???

Margaret Webb Pressler: Our crack Maryland editors are tyring to find out for you. They had not heard of one, but that'd doesn't mean there isn't one. I'll post back if I get an answer.

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West River, Md.: Have you heard any "kid" reviews on the robotic toys available this Christmas such as Robosapien and the "Robo" dinosaur? They are $80 - $100 and I'm wondering if they live up to the hype when kids actually play with them?

Margaret Webb Pressler: I'm hoping to get you a link to the KidsPost revew of toys...stay tuned...

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Washington, D.C.: So what are the big holiday trends this year or is it too early to tell?

Ylan Q. Mui: Electronics, electronics, electronics! The iPod, the Xbox, laptops, you name it! There's not absolutely-gotta-have-it toy, though anything Dora, Barbie, Bratz, Legos, etc. are still popular.

Margaret Webb Pressler: Old fashioned toys, like board games and Lego, have also been big for a couple of years. They get my vote. Make the kids think and use their imagination--it's SO much better for them! They can always get more electronics later, but the younger they start on electronics the earlier they lose the ability to do imaginative play.

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Woodbridge, Va.: Re:gift cards, do you think it would be tacky if I got my husband a ski/snowboard pass from local resorts? I can't buy him any new outerwear for his favorite sport because he likes to choose, but I thought this pass (discounted lift tickets, etc) would work. But is it too close to the gift card idea?

Ylan Q. Mui: Lots of people opt for more "experiential" gifts instead of giving material things. I think it sounds like he's got a nice wife!! Check out http://www.excitations.com for some ideas and maybe even something ski-related.

Margaret Webb Pressler: How about adding on a little ski accessory (not sure what that would be!) to go with the passes? Otherwise, a creative idea that keeps more junk from piling up in the house, no?

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Bethesda, Md.: I really, really hate the crowds at the malls during the holidays, but I feel ordering gifts online is so impersonal. Do you have any trade secrets you can share about when the malls are less crowded. I work typical 9-5 weekday hours, so I think I'm stuck shopping with the masses.

Ylan Q. Mui: Aha! Great minds think alike -- I was just pitching a story about this very thing to my editors last night! The best information I have right now is from data from Mastercard transactions. That suggests that some of the least-busy times are 7 p.m. and later on weekdays and on Sundays. Still, less busy during the holidays can still mean pretty darn busy.

Margaret Webb Pressler: Hmmm...I'm beginning to think less and less that ordering online is impersonal. If you really think about what to get and you get the right gift, that's truly personal no matter where you get it. I'm in the camp that finds gift cards horribly impersonal, though I seem to be of a dwindling minority in that opinion. I plan to do just about all my shopping online or by catalogue this year, simply for the time savings. That's what I want for Christmas: more time!

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Washington, D.C.: Where do a lot of people go to "fuel up" before a big day of shopping?

Margaret Webb Pressler: Do you mean fuel up as in eating? Or fuel up as in gasoline? The mall restaurants are hugely busy at this time of year! But be careful, you can consumer an awful lot of calories you didn't even know about in some of those restaurants. Cheese fries pack a wallop!

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Margaret Webb Pressler: For the Maryland tax question. Here's a link to the unfortunate press release announcing there will be NO tax free week in Maryland around the holidays.

http://www.marylandtaxes.com/publications/nr/current/pr114.asp

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Clifton, Va.: Would like to get the latest and greatest professional ie movie theater digital projector for hubby's home theater? Price is not a concern since these units retial from $250,000.00 and up. Do you know where I can purchase one?

Margaret Webb Pressler: Did you really mean $250,000 and up? Now, let me ask you, if I had advice on purchasing products for $250,000 and up, would I be sitting here doing this job? I think not. Having said that, one of the area's best known and well-regarded retailers of home theaters is Myer-Emco. Tell John Myer I sent you. Then tell him he owes me!

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Houston Tex.: It was reported in Houston that after the Friday following Thanksgiving, retail sales fell off dramatically. People went to malls but not to buy but to eyeball, and hope for bigger savings after Christmas. Are you seeing the same trend in the MD-DC-VA area?

Ylan Q. Mui: It's a trend that happens everywhere, every year. People are TIRED after waking up at 5 a.m. to get that $4 slow-cooker! They're sort of worn out on the holidays, still reeling from all that turkey and kind of take a break ... until the week or so before Christmas, when they realize the holidays are upon them and they freak out!

Margaret Webb Pressler: There were some data that supported that phenomenon nationally, but there was little agreement among the experts. One thing that is clearly true, here and elsewhere, is that the 10 days after Christmas has become much much bigger and much more important to retailers. It's really part of the holiday shopping season now.

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washingtonpost.com:

KidsPost Reviews: Bursting With Toys

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Washington, D.C.: While internet shopping is clearly growing in importance, it gets A LOT more attention than it deserves: The Department of Commerce's latest "Retail E-Commerce Sales" report (for the 3rd quarter of 2005) says that it's still only 2.3 percent of total sales. Of course, it must be higher for areas like electronics, but we still do the vast majority of our shopping through other channels.

Ylan Q. Mui: While most people may not shop online, the sector is growing fast and that's the big news. Bricks-and-mortar retailers need to pay attention or else they could lose out!

Margaret Webb Pressler: You are right and have a good point. What's important is the rate of growth. Retailers want to be part of anything that's growing.

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Springfield, Va.: Why would anyone think ordering gifts online is impersonal? How would the recipient even know? Personally, I'm all for shopping in my pajamas at home and finding a great selection instead of picked-over stuff in the store. No parking hassles, no exhaustion from carrying bags around, what's not to love about online shopping? I hate malls and never go unless absolutely necessary!

Margaret Webb Pressler: I don't hate malls, but I only love them when I have plenty of time, no rugrats with me and lots of spare money to spend (see rugrats problem). So, as an alternative, I browse online, at night, after they go to bed and I love it. Thank goodness for high-speed connections!

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Washington, D.C.: I am a college student on a budget. I have had a lot of trouble thinking of things to get my boyfriend for christmas that he will enjoy. He just bought DVDs he likes and he has plenty of sweaters. Do you have any fabulous ideas? I love to be creative and would happily make something or do something out of the ordinary.

Ylan Q. Mui: This is a tough one! I have always liked to give "theme" gifts. Ex: One year I bought an ex-boyf a subscription to Esquire and a nice bottle of whiskey, with the theme of a "manly" Christmas. It shows a little more thought but doens't have to cost a fortune! There are also "breakfast in bed" kits that you can buy to make his morning special. If you don't have a lot of dough, go heavy on the sentiment!

Margaret Webb Pressler: I was hoping Ylan would leave me room to weigh in. I consider myself good at finding presents for the men in my life (husband, father) who are hard to buy for. I tend to focus on the things they DO that maybe could be better outfitted. LIke, for example, whenever a fuse blows or there's a weird noise in the attic, my husband curses around the house looking for a flashlight, and it's invariably out of batteries. SO, a great flashlight, maybe a hand crank one too, is on his list (dont' tell). What does your boyfriend like to do? Does he cook? How about some fabulous silicone spatulas? Does he bike? A water-carrying backpack might be good. Does he read a lot? There are lots of fantastic book lights being made now. Does he spend a lot of time on the laptop? A USB-port fan might work. Anyway, that's how I approach it. Good luck!

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Ugg and in love: I love my Uggs. I plan to wear them often. They are comfy and go great with jeans. I couldn't give a darn if they are out of "style."

Margaret Webb Pressler: Which is why my guy in Connecticut can't keep them in stock. People love them, and you have to give the people what they love. It is conceivable, though, that someday you will wake up and look and them and think, God, I hate those. You just can't predict how the subtle (and not so subtle) fashion messages in society will affect you eventually.

One thing is true these days in shoes though: anything goes. Check it out, there are TONS of styles in fashion now.

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Washington, D.C.: Can you suggest any unique websites that offer fun artsy kind of gifts? I've been to redenvelope.com and uncommongoods.com, but I'd love to find some others to find gifts this year.

Ylan Q. Mui: I like museum stores for that sort of thing: http://momastore.org/

http://www.smithsonianstore.com/home.jsp

Margaret?

Margaret Webb Pressler: I'm thinking. Don't have much time, though, do I?

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20906: I don't think online shopping is impersonal at all. It isn't all that different from using a catalog and lots of the catalogs don't have real stores so you have a better chance of getting a unique gift.

Margaret Webb Pressler: here here. Only problem I sometimes find with catalogs is that my friends/family I might buy for from them probably get the same catalog. It's certainly true for my sister!

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Margaret Webb Pressler: So, I've been thinking, and I realize that I can't really come up with online sites to recommend because I don't really have several that I shop at regularly (other than Amazon). I tend to browse. I start with google and then just keep clicking and I stumble across so many great sites. You can often tell if it looks like a reputable operation. I always call the customer service number and if I get a real person who's helpful and intelligent, it's a done deal.

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Artsy gifts: I just discovered Bas Bleu and I love it!

Ylan Q. Mui: Thanks for the tip!

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NYC, NY: for the person looking for "websites that offer fun artsy kind of gifts," novica.com is a MUST. I've ordered many types of things -- they always arrive promptly and with a thank you note from the artisan.

Margaret Webb Pressler: there you go!

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Arlington, Va.: To avoid busy malls this time of year, consider shopping later in the evening. Many stores are open until 10 or 11 in December during the week, and the stores are much less busy at that time than right after work hours.

Ylan Q. Mui: Also, a great tip ,thanks!

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20906: Another good thing about on-line/catalog shopping is if you have to mail the item you can save yourself the trip and have it delivered with a gift receipt. Some even wrap.

Margaret Webb Pressler: see, the wrapping I always do myself. Then it really does feel personal!

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Margaret Webb Pressler: Folks, this has been fun! Gets me in the mood to shop. So, I have to tell you, though, that I'm feeling like a fuddy-duddy. Ylan mentioned the "breakfast in bed" kits you can get, earlier. Well, what do you think she's getting for her boyfriend? But me, married with kids? I'm getting my husband a flashlight (among other things). Maybe I need to rethink that...

Anyway, thanks for chatting!

Ylan Q. Mui: Don't tell, guys!!! I am a Christmas fanatic, fueled by the fact that my birthday is on Christmas Eve. So really, it's a very special time of year!

Thanks for your questions!

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