MitchellC wrote:
Did you get me one too?
I could be persuaded. 
Back on topic, I'm mildly encouraged by some recent articles such as this one. Perhaps we as a society (other than the morally bankrupt folks involved in the Walmart incident) are finally moving away from the era of "consumerism".
Consumers shut wallets
Associated Press
Posted: 11/12/2008 05:07:44 PM PST
NEW YORK — Americans have slammed their wallets shut since the financial meltdown, and the future is looking downright scary for stores across the country and the whole U.S. economy.
On Wednesday, Best Buy slashed its earnings forecast and said the changes in consumer behavior have been nothing less than "seismic," creating "the most difficult climate" the company had seen in its 42-year history.
And Macy's, which turned a profit in the third quarter of last year, swung to a loss this time, warned that the upcoming holiday season would be "a nail-biter" and slashed its budget for 2009 capital expenditures by almost half.
Shoppers from the well-heeled to the low-income have cut back as they worry about shriveling retirement funds and job security. The changes could tilt the economy into a deeper, more painful recession.
"We're definitely spending less. The first thing to go was the housekeeper and clothes spending," said Melanie Coyne of Dardenne Prairie, Mo., who is dining out less, using more coupons and taking her lunch to work. She's also "wearing what I have."
The downbeat forecasts from retailers Wednesday came two days after Circuit City Stores filed for bankruptcy protection. It's also laying off thousands of workers and closing 20 percent of its stores.
Analysts believe consumers — who usually account for about 70 percent of economic activity — will no longer be the key driver of the economy,
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said Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer economics at Moody's Economy.com.
"This is the end of the consumer-based economy," said Peter Schiff, who runs the investment firm Euro Pacific Capital in Darien, Conn. "Americans have been buying too much stuff, and now the epic shopping spree is over. It is a permanent change."
The recent data has been startling: For the third quarter, consumer spending fell 3.1 percent, the worst performance in 28 years. Sales at established stores for October were the worst since at least 1969. The slump is continuing into November: Macy's says it expects a decline of at least 10 percent this month.
Even those with appetites for Prada and Gucci aren't immune. Among the hardest hit are luxury stores. Saks and Nordstrom reported same-store sales fell at least 10 percent. At Neiman Marcus the drop was nearly 27 percent.
Some stores make as much as 40 percent of their yearly profit during the holiday season, and the outlook for this year's is growing even darker. For toy merchants, that figure is up to 50 percent. That could mean more bankruptcies in the new year.
The sharp cut in Best Buy's outlook shook Wall Street analysts, who thought it was well placed to benefit from Circuit City's woes.
"As bad as things are, it was a shock to the retailing world as well as to the consumer spending outlook," said Ken Perkins, president of research company RetailMetrics. "Best Buy has always been the holiday destination. That announcement scared me."
