Comments on: The Weekend’s Shopping Experiences http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/ Macro Perspective on the Capital Markets, Economy, Geopolitics, Technology, and Digital Media Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:08:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: andrew.wellas http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/comment-page-2/#comment-227929 andrew.wellas Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:35:58 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41557#comment-227929 Completely agree with bsneath when he say that recession is over once men start buying new socks and underwear. Here we had Barry picking some new ones, so as to make him comfortable without laundry even for next three months...... Well weekends as usual are busy and streets are crowded..... Its good to see the economic downtime come to a near end..... Even IMF has predicted things to get better soon... Yeah even the new Apple Store in Manhasset was jammed..... just heard of it..... since I prefer staying back home and hunting for some online deals from the convinience of my notebook and couch. With holiday season round the corner.... hope to see even weekdays convert from Morgue to crowded stuff just like weekends..... Completely agree with bsneath when he say that recession is over once men start buying new socks and underwear. Here we had Barry picking some new ones, so as to make him comfortable without laundry even for next three months……

Well weekends as usual are busy and streets are crowded….. Its good to see the economic downtime come to a near end….. Even IMF has predicted things to get better soon…

Yeah even the new Apple Store in Manhasset was jammed….. just heard of it….. since I prefer staying back home and hunting for some online deals from the convinience of my notebook and couch.

With holiday season round the corner…. hope to see even weekdays convert from Morgue to crowded stuff just like weekends…..

]]> By: jpmist http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/comment-page-2/#comment-227546 jpmist Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:33:15 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41557#comment-227546 My highrise condo overlooks one of the most popular Simon malls in Atlanta and I was surprised to see last weekend that the top deck of a tri-level parking lot was completely full. That usually doesn't happen until Thanksgiving shopping season. . . My highrise condo overlooks one of the most popular Simon malls in Atlanta and I was surprised to see last weekend that the top deck of a tri-level parking lot was completely full. That usually doesn’t happen until Thanksgiving shopping season. . .

]]> By: Steve L http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/comment-page-2/#comment-227428 Steve L Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:37:10 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41557#comment-227428 Well, you know you are in a great recession/little depression when: - The favorite pastry at the cafe is still sold, but no longer with the graham cracker crust. It's flour crust now....with the same price tag.... - Floodlight bulbs are afraid to inhabit the shelves of stores unless they are paired in the same box. Ditto for a certain brand of dental floss that has a J at the beginning of the makers name. - Large size bags of grass seed (8 lb) are nowhere to be found at all. Guess there's no money left for people to renew their lawns this fall... - The generic lawn fertilizer in the big bag has gone missing too this fall... - Powdered limestone (lawncare theme) suddenly jumps from $2 to $4 a bag since last year. It's a common mineral and fuel isn't at double the price level from as last year... - A major, well known store that's loved/reviled by all lets items stock out and not re-stock until the end of the quarter. - The local hardware store could be used as a location for a Soviet era movie with all the bare shelves... - A well known maker of silicone is selling batches that have been around long enough that they are beginnning to harden in the tube BEFORE use.... - The local auto repair shop asks about why the car hasn't been in for an oil change. "Do my own - you don't carry the brand I use" is my reply. "Bring your own in and we'll do it with what you bring" is the shops reply. Never heard that offer in all the years that I've owned a car before... Well, you know you are in a great recession/little depression when:

- The favorite pastry at the cafe is still sold, but no longer with
the graham cracker crust. It’s flour crust now….with the same price
tag….

- Floodlight bulbs are afraid to inhabit the shelves of stores unless
they are paired in the same box. Ditto for a certain brand of dental
floss that has a J at the beginning of the makers name.

- Large size bags of grass seed (8 lb) are nowhere to be found at all.
Guess there’s no money left for people to renew their lawns this
fall…

- The generic lawn fertilizer in the big bag has gone missing too this fall…

- Powdered limestone (lawncare theme) suddenly jumps from $2 to $4 a
bag since last year. It’s a common mineral and fuel isn’t at double
the price level from as last year…

- A major, well known store that’s loved/reviled by all lets items
stock out and not re-stock until the end of the quarter.

- The local hardware store could be used as a location for a Soviet
era movie with all the bare shelves…

- A well known maker of silicone is selling batches that have been
around long enough that they are beginnning to harden in the tube
BEFORE use….

- The local auto repair shop asks about why the car hasn’t been in for
an oil change. “Do my own – you don’t carry the brand I use” is my
reply. “Bring your own in and we’ll do it with what you bring” is the
shops reply. Never heard that offer in all the years that I’ve owned a
car before…

]]> By: Crusty the Clown http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/comment-page-2/#comment-227332 Crusty the Clown Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:10:13 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41557#comment-227332 I shop online. Why go through the trouble of schlepping out to the stores? What a hassle. Imagine that most in my generation (and those younger) do the same. Shopping online lets me stay tethered to the screens, I get real anxious when I'm not in front of the screens. I shop online. Why go through the trouble of schlepping out to the stores? What a hassle. Imagine that most in my generation (and those younger) do the same.

Shopping online lets me stay tethered to the screens, I get real anxious when I’m not in front of the screens.

]]> By: baysailor94044 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/comment-page-2/#comment-227327 baysailor94044 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:58:03 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41557#comment-227327 Shopping for food this weekend in SF, Calif. The highways and side streets in southern SF were clogged and filled with very aggressive and impatient drivers mixed in with the usual clueless drivers. Tried to go to Costco and the parking lot was full with 50 cars following shoppers as they exited the store. Gave up and tried a different Costco but the left turn lane to get in was at least 1/8 mile long and the huge parking lot was jammed full. I gave up and went to Trader Joe's...waited for parking and actually got a space just before my girlfriend finished our shopping and came back out. Next tried to get diesel for my TDI at the our secret and less expensive station....but the secret is out now and couldn't even get into the place. I gave up there as well. Dodged and weaved the aforementioned aggressive drivers, got home, closed the door behind us, and hid out from the world the rest of the weekend. Seems to be some very palatable aggression out there these days and have never seen the grocery stores so packed in all my life. No idea what is happening at the malls...I haven't set foot in one for at least 2 years. Shopping for food this weekend in SF, Calif. The highways and side streets in southern SF were clogged and filled with very aggressive and impatient drivers mixed in with the usual clueless drivers. Tried to go to Costco and the parking lot was full with 50 cars following shoppers as they exited the store. Gave up and tried a different Costco but the left turn lane to get in was at least 1/8 mile long and the huge parking lot was jammed full. I gave up and went to Trader Joe’s…waited for parking and actually got a space just before my girlfriend finished our shopping and came back out. Next tried to get diesel for my TDI at the our secret and less expensive station….but the secret is out now and couldn’t even get into the place. I gave up there as well. Dodged and weaved the aforementioned aggressive drivers, got home, closed the door behind us, and hid out from the world the rest of the weekend. Seems to be some very palatable aggression out there these days and have never seen the grocery stores so packed in all my life. No idea what is happening at the malls…I haven’t set foot in one for at least 2 years.

]]> By: HarryWanger http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/comment-page-2/#comment-227317 HarryWanger Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:27:25 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41557#comment-227317 I think these observations are simple psychological mechanizations. People are now LOOKING to see if stores are empty or full. Up until recently, they weren't so it's easy to convince yourself that stores are less crowded when in fact they may be just as crowded as they were 2 years ago. It's how your mind works. I had never seen an HHR vehicle until I was forced into renting one in Detroit. Since that time I see them everywhere. They've always been there, I just never had a reason to notice them. Same applies to store traffic. I think these observations are simple psychological mechanizations. People are now LOOKING to see if stores are empty or full. Up until recently, they weren’t so it’s easy to convince yourself that stores are less crowded when in fact they may be just as crowded as they were 2 years ago. It’s how your mind works. I had never seen an HHR vehicle until I was forced into renting one in Detroit. Since that time I see them everywhere. They’ve always been there, I just never had a reason to notice them. Same applies to store traffic.

]]> By: Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/comment-page-2/#comment-227294 Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:30:20 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41557#comment-227294 mathenjp: Center City? What were the prices? I hope to be looking there(or close) in a year to 18 months(at most). mathenjp:
Center City? What were the prices? I hope to be looking there(or close) in a year to 18 months(at most).

]]> By: jedivid http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/comment-page-2/#comment-227289 jedivid Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:08:57 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41557#comment-227289 Hi I know that this is out there, but we dont have the size of shooping malls like you do in the US. However there are several really goods one based around the uk. There is the trafford centre which is great and is located in Manchester. Sheffield has a good one and that is Meadowhall. This has some really good littel out there shops that you can buy all kinds of r different products. The other big basedin the north is The Metro centre, the is massive for uk standard but not against US but has a lot of parking and is realy busy all the time. The best time to go is during the week days and after the rush hours. We where there and they have a really good mexican place to eat. Great food love'd it Hi I know that this is out there, but we dont have the size of shooping malls like you do in the US. However there are several really goods one based around the uk. There is the trafford centre which is great and is located in Manchester.

Sheffield has a good one and that is Meadowhall. This has some really good littel out there shops that you can buy all kinds of r different products.

The other big basedin the north is The Metro centre, the is massive for uk standard but not against US but has a lot of parking and is realy busy all the time. The best time to go is during the week days and after the rush hours. We where there and they have a really good mexican place to eat. Great food love’d it

]]> By: Kekepana http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/comment-page-2/#comment-227264 Kekepana Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:07:06 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41557#comment-227264 I've been in Vegas this weekend, paddling in an outrigger canoe regatta (Yes! There is water in Lake Las Vegas!). It's part of an annual Hawaiian festival. Attendance at the festival seemed considerably lower than in previous years, and there were fewer vendors than in the past. I haven't been in many stores, except for Shepler's (the cream of western wear stores) where the mood was more like a museum than a retailer. The casinos seem relatively busy, but it's the penny slots and the cheap buffets that are getting most of the action. I’ve been in Vegas this weekend, paddling in an outrigger canoe regatta (Yes! There is water in Lake Las Vegas!). It’s part of an annual Hawaiian festival. Attendance at the festival seemed considerably lower than in previous years, and there were fewer vendors than in the past. I haven’t been in many stores, except for Shepler’s (the cream of western wear stores) where the mood was more like a museum than a retailer. The casinos seem relatively busy, but it’s the penny slots and the cheap buffets that are getting most of the action.

]]> By: raycharles http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/the-weekends-shopping-experiences/comment-page-2/#comment-227260 raycharles Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:57:07 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41557#comment-227260 The mall/square here in Bellevue Washington was very lively on Saturday evening. Got there around 7 and the paking garage which has 6 lower levels was full and the line into the garage snaked around the block. A bit surprising for the evening. we left at a 11pm and there was still lots going on lots of foot and car traffic. Have watched this town change a lot in the past 10 years and now recognize its entering a different phase of its ongoing evolution. The sidewalks don't roll up at sundown any more. The mall/square here in Bellevue Washington was very lively on Saturday evening. Got there around 7 and the paking garage which has 6 lower levels was full and the line into the garage snaked around the block. A bit surprising for the evening. we left at a 11pm and there was still lots going on lots of foot and car traffic. Have watched this town change a lot in the past 10 years and now recognize its entering a different phase of its ongoing evolution. The sidewalks don’t roll up at sundown any more.

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