Recession-stung stores plan old-fashioned holidays
New York — Stores are turning back the clock, conjuring images of hearth and home as they stock their holiday merchandise.
Retailers hope embracing holiday traditions from cozier times will tempt recession-weary consumers to open their wallets in a season expected to show flat sales at best.
That means shoppers will see more gingerbread houses and peppermint crunch cookies, and fewer exotic teas and flavored olive oils; classic ball ornaments instead of offbeat cowboys or cartoon-themed character figures; and an emphasis on simple festive wear like shimmery tops instead of elaborately beaded gowns.
Traditional Christmas colors — red, green and gold — are also back.
That’s a big departure from recent years when stores pushed the whimsical and splashy, from the upside-down Christmas tree fad in 2007 to stockings adorned with mermaids and elephants. Stores, wary after the sudden, deep drop in spending late last year, seek to tap into an American psyche that wants comfort and affordability after so many shocks. A lot is riding on the switch, because holiday sales account for up to 40 percent of annual sales for many merchants. For retailers already hobbled, it could be a do-or-die season.
Industry worries are high because shoppers, who were afraid to buy a year ago, are now grappling with rising job losses, reduced hours or unavailable credit. The unemployment rate is now 9.7 percent, up from around 7 percent last holiday season.
“When the world feels upside down, you don’t want your tree to be,” said Kit Yarrow, professor of consumer psychology at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. “Nostalgia is a way for people to feel safe.”
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