Israeli Salesmen the Kings of the Mall Kiosk

Chains hoping deep discounts will move merchandise

(NEWSER) - While store bargains may have shoppers saying "ho, ho, ho," they've got retailers thinking: "Oh-oh." Heavy discounts in the last days before Christmas are a signal companies are worried they'll be stuck with inventory that isn't moving off the shelves. Retailers had high hopes for the season, but sluggish sales are forcing them now to be “much more aggressive in terms of promotion," a retail consultant tells the New York Times . Toy prices are being slashed as much as 50% at Toys R Us and 70% at Amazon, and gifts have been discounted 50% at places like Restoration Hardware. More»

Fantasy gifts for 2011 unveiled in 'Christmas Book'

(NEWSER) - It’s that time of year again: time for Neiman Marcus to say, “Recession? What recession?” and urge you to purchase a $250,000 mahogany speedboat for your beloved this Christmas. Yes, the Christmas Book was unveiled yesterday. To really get into the holiday spirit, read on for the highlights, via AP :

• $1 million: A cool mil will get you a fountain, apparently with water that dances to music, installed in your home.
• $420,000: Private jet tour of European flower shows.

This holiday season the best for retailers since 2007

(NEWSER) - The holiday shopping season continued to be a merry one for retailers, as shoppers packed stores yesterday searching for post-Christmas sales. An East Coast snowstorm daunted some—but not all—shoppers; even so, execs weren't concerned. "People will just wait a day to do exchanges and use their gift cards. It's no big deal," one tells the AP . This has been the best holiday season for retailers since record-setting 2007, and malls like the Mall of America—the nation's largest—expected an 8% rise in sales over last year. Overall spending for the season is expected to rise 3% to 4%. More»

Black Friday madness in Madison!

(NEWSER) - Not a recommended Black Friday shopping strategy: cutting to the front of the line of patiently waiting shoppers ... then threatening to shoot them after they complain. A 21-year-old Wisconsin woman was arrested last night after making just such threats. The incident happened outside a Toys 'R' Us store in Madison that opened at 10pm last night. Police reported that several hundred shoppers were in line around that time when the woman tried to jump to the front. More»

People in Austin, Texas, most likely

(NEWSER) - It's Black Friday, so Americans are out spending money in droves—but who's spending the most? In the Daily Beast , Anneli Rufus gets us a little closer to an answer, by way of 15 spending stats:

• If you're an online shopper ... you spend 24.6% more than a brick-and-mortar shopper.
• If you're an LGBT adult ... you spend 26% more on holiday gifts than heterosexuals.
• If you're a heterosexual adult ... you are 85% more likely to shop for bargains during the holiday season than LGBT adults.