| 'Desperate' Discounts for Retail
A Dec. 26 report from MasterCard Advisors (MA) said that holiday sales rose only 3.6%—near the low end of the consulting firm's expectations. Excluding gas purchases, holiday sales were up only 2.4%. Most troubling to Wall Street was the report's note that sales of women's apparel declined 2.4%. As they have in November and December, weak sales depressed department stores' share prices. On Dec. 27 shares for Macy's dropped 3.5%, while Saks (SKS) was off 4.5%, J.C. Penney (JCP) dropped 2.7%, and Nordstrom (JWN) fell 1.3%. Analysts suggest that given the gloomy economic climate, consumers won't be easily lured to splurge significantly post-Christmas. "People are shopped out," says Robert Passikoff, founder and president of the retail consulting firm Brand Keys in New York.
Super Bowl's Big Day for TV, Pizza Sales
Last year, U.S. retailers sold 61 percent more TVs the week before the Super Bowl compared to the previous week, NPD said. Revenue from TV sales jumped 46 percent that week. "I can't wait to watch the Super Bowl on it," said Frank De Rito, of Newtown, Pa., while waiting at a Best Buy sales counter for workers to wheel out the new Panasonic 50-inch flat screen TV for which he'd just plunked down $2,200. TV sales are almost as high during the winter holiday season, but there is a key difference: "During the holiday season people buy them more as gifts," said Ed Mrozowski, a manager at Best Buy's Oxford Valley, Pa., store. "We see a lot more of the mid-(sized) ... and a lot of the small TVs." NPD research shows that holiday TV sales jump because people are responding to sales, or, in industry jargon, "deep discounting." When buying for the Super Bowl, however, sports fans are acquiring a TV for themselves, often with a Super Bowl party in mind.
MOSS TAPS INTO THE UPSIDE OF ANGER
The king," Dante Stallword says. "The best guy to have as your wing man." "The smartest offensive player I have ever been around," Tom Brady says. "An incredible player, incredible attitude, practices hard every day." We have seen Your Guy Moss plenty this year, from opening day against the Jets when he re-introduced himself as a one-man football band, all the way through the playoffs, when the Jaguars and Chargers put two and three men on him sometimes, the better to limit him to two playoff catches and open the field right up for every other eligible Patriots receiver. We've seen a little of Other Guy Moss, too, the one that left the sour impressions in Minnesota and Oakland, the one whose baggage often had to be diverted to the Oversize Area, the one who was recently hit with a restraining order by a Florida woman accusing him of battery; not surprisingly, Moss was reluctant to steer the conversation in that direction yesterday.
Slimmer Santas in vogue
With more and more people health and weight conscious, some retailers and brands are slimming down St. Nick. A British mall is putting its 12 Santas through a month-long boot camp that includes the "Santa sack lift." In a recent ad spot for Special K cereal, Santa was seen shopping for a bikini. Even the Santa working the Manhattan Mall food court said he recently cut back on heart-clogging trans fats. "I think it's a good idea because I don't want to give kids the idea that they should grow up to be fat and jolly," said the Bridgewater, N.J.-based Claus (aka Frank), who at 5-feet-6 and 186 pounds is a relatively svelte Santa. But other merrymakers said critics should lighten up. Melanie Cortese, 32, brought her 2-year-old daughter to Macy's yesterday from Linden, N.J., to see the store's traditionally tubby Santa.
Landmark Red Bank Buildings Fall To Wrecking Bar
An end of an era has come for Red Bank in recent days with the razing of several landmark commercial buildings near the intersection of Dayton Boulevard and Ashland Terrace.
Red Bank Baptist Church, which is located nearby, had acquired the buildings from the longtime owners, the Tom L. Morton Jr. family.
The street-fronting buildings, which looked similar in style to some of those recently restored in the Frazier Avenue and Cherokee Boulevard areas, had housed in recent years Roy Cox television and appliance store, the Red Bank Athletic Shop and the Computer Man.
According to church staff member Bill Harvey, the church had contracted with workers to remove the asbestos from the buildings before demolition.
The site will initially be used for parking but will be available should the church ever need to expand its facilities, he added.
A man has died
When the news broke about the death of Heath Ledger, I heard about it first from my daughters – their ages ranging from 24 to 30. The frenetic texting and animated cell phone conversations told me something was up. This young actor was a face and name very familiar to them and their generation. Not so much to me. I had to strain to try to figure out who he was – before I located a picture on line. I had managed (thankfully) to completely miss Brokeback Mountain – preferring my “Westerns" more, well, traditional, with the only slightly disturbing image being a cowboy acting benignly affectionate toward his faithful horse. Some of the other titles my girls mentioned, featuring Ledger, brought that deer in the headlights look they are sadly accustomed to seeing from their dear old dad. Then one of them mentioned the movie The Patriot - and the part Ledger played – and the light came on.
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