Nov 4, 2007

Panel gives you inside track on holiday shopping trends and strategiesBy Jaclyn GiovisSun-Sentinel.com

Scrooge might spoil this holiday shopping season.

The sluggish housing market, rising insurance costs and high gas prices are taking a toll on consumers. Holiday sales will hit their slowest pace in five years, growing only 4 percent, according to the National Retail Federation.

Shoppers in South Florida and across the nation are expected to cut spending for Christmas and Hanukkah, making it tough for retailers to hit sales goals. And a slew of recent recalls on toys made in China, including models of popular brands such as Barbie, Thomas & Friends and Dora the Explorer, have many parents and grandparents wary of buying the items that top kids’ holiday wish lists.

All of these issues combine to make the next two months a challenging time for shoppers and retailers. That’s why the South Florida Sun-Sentinel assembled a panel of eight residents from Broward and Palm Beach counties to weigh in on the joys and pains of holiday shopping. They’ll divulge their buying strategies, dish about their gift pursuits and help keep tabs on the season’s hottest trends.

The panelists are a diverse group of shopaholics and anti-shoppers, mallgoers and online browsers, big spenders and bargain hunters. Some are early birds while others are procrastinators. All are dedicated to giving readers a glimpse into their busy lives this holiday season, so that others can learn new tricks for surviving what’s left of 2007.

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