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Every Year, somewhere on the Mountains, our Photographers , the Pier<strong>ce</strong> Brothers<br />
have waited for Santa Claus to come out of the White Star and when he does a big<br />
HO HO HO, he yells Merry Christmas as they get their magic photo dust!<br />
Merry Christmas<br />
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Thanks to all who contributed to CE<br />
Magazine. Have an article you would like<br />
contribute? You can mail it to:<br />
CE, P.O. Box 8619<br />
Michigan City In 46360<br />
Or E-Mail it to<br />
computerease@juno.com<br />
CE Magazine is part of OtherSide Ministries © all rights<br />
reserved<br />
Founder & Chief Editor<br />
Peter Nadal<br />
Editor<br />
Pamela Kennoy<br />
Art & Design<br />
Peter Nadal<br />
Our Writers<br />
Rodrigo Esperanza<br />
Nomar Shaw<br />
Diane G<br />
5<br />
Michigan City, In<br />
Vol 3 De<strong>ce</strong>mber 2020 <strong>issue</strong> 12<br />
6 6 Hey Pete! Printing your ELF Stamp!<br />
9 Biz Cards board!! Hey its free<br />
10 CE MAGAZINE LINKS TABLET<br />
11 Tommy’s Christmas… Christmas Story<br />
14 Georgio the fly… Christmas Story<br />
18 7 Safe Ways to Celebrate Christmas That Have<br />
Nothing to Do With Zoom<br />
22 Retailers need to stoke the Christmas spirit to<br />
hit lofty holiday sales targets<br />
27 De<strong>ce</strong>mber 7th 1941 Pearl Harbor<br />
28 DAV Card<br />
29 Christmas Card to our readers<br />
Outside Sour<strong>ce</strong>s On This Month <strong>issue</strong><br />
Santa Claus / Lisa Milbrand<br />
Front Cover..<br />
Picture by Oliver Pier<strong>ce</strong><br />
“Waiting for Santa to come out of his star!”<br />
Original Computer-Ease logo © product<br />
Of Otherside Ministries<br />
ELFS Books & Magazines<br />
225 Rudolf lanes<br />
North Pole<br />
Vol 4 De<strong>ce</strong>mber <strong>2021</strong> <strong>issue</strong> 12<br />
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From Pete’s Desk<br />
To our readers:<br />
This has been an up and down year<br />
and for some of you getting your<br />
Christmas decorations is plus for your<br />
home and because of this it has put<br />
all of us in a strong Christmas spirit,<br />
Santa and ELFS Books & Magazine gave us the go ahead. My<br />
staff and I have put together a Christmassy <strong>magazine</strong> and 2<br />
stories, from Santa Claus to make this holiday a loved one. We<br />
got the permission from Santa History Library, the story 1 of<br />
“Tommy’s Christmas” written about 1805 and story 2 “Georgio<br />
the Fly” this story is from Naples Italy and his name is Franco<br />
This is our 4 th Santa and the staff decided to make the<br />
<strong>magazine</strong> look like an old fashion book and the staff along with<br />
Santa wants to keep this design!<br />
We hope you enjoy this Christmas edition and like always we<br />
hope we made your Christmas shopping easy.<br />
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!<br />
Peter<br />
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Santa Claus made a stop somewhere in the Middle East to give a<br />
present only to learn that Joe gave his life for freedom. With tears<br />
in his eyes he kneeled ,then he took off to drop off his presents. He<br />
was amazed to see presents at veteran’s doors and to those who live<br />
in tents, HoHoHo he let out a laugh and laid extra presents under<br />
their Christmas tree for the love and kindness these people and<br />
their children did!! Blessings to you and your family -- Have a<br />
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!<br />
Made Available by Elf’s Publishing Inc<br />
5
Printing your ELF Stamp!<br />
It is back again the most desirable<br />
stamp this time of the year, an ELF<br />
STAMP!<br />
I found it some yrs ago and used on my<br />
grandchildren‟s presents and it kept the miracle of Christmas alive for few<br />
more yrs.<br />
Press “PrtScn or Print Screen” on your keyboard then load “windows<br />
paint” and paste it, with the select tool outline the whole ELF STAMP<br />
then select crop then print it and use school paste (the blue one) with your<br />
finger smear a very lightly amount… Works great especially on 13 yr<br />
olds, have a very Merry Christmas<br />
Or press Zazzle link to buy elf <strong>ce</strong>rtified stamp stickers!<br />
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Some more of Santa elf‟s mailing dept…<br />
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CE MAGAZINE LINKS TABLET<br />
By Nomar Shaw<br />
The Legend of St. Nicholas: The Real Santa Claus<br />
Where does Santa Claus live, where is Lapland and where<br />
is the North Pole?<br />
Real Santa Claus Images<br />
Is Santa Claus Real?<br />
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Tommy’s Christmas<br />
Written by Santa Claus<br />
Our story takes you back to the late 1800‟s somewhere in the Appalachian<br />
Mountains where there was an 8 year boy going to have the Christmas of a lifetime.<br />
It was a very snowy week, but, this enhan<strong>ce</strong>d the fun for Tommy who was having<br />
the time of his life playing in the snow and not counting on Christmas was in a few<br />
days. He lived in a log cabin somewhere deep in the forest about 18 miles from the<br />
closest town and for Tommy he knew were everything was like Smudge Creek,<br />
Dingaling Hill, Umbrella Forest, just to mention a few. Tommy opened the front<br />
door and told his mom he was going to Smudge Creek, but, mom said no it was too<br />
dangerous in that snow covered area, but, like all kids he waited for mom to go<br />
back inside the house. Very carefully he snuck away and headed to Smudge Creek,<br />
the walk was not that far, oh, I would say as the crow flies about 3/4 of a mile.<br />
Tommy was smiling as much as he could, hearing the crackling on snow covered<br />
branches, sounds of different birds and the crunching of his boots on the snow.<br />
As he walked to Smudge Creek he heard a cry of a animal in pain, he ran as fast as<br />
he could and saw as he came to the top of the hill a reindeer in a Grizzly Bear trap.<br />
He walked over to the reindeer ever so gently saying “Hi Mr. Reindeer let me help<br />
you, please don‟t be scared” as he ever so slowly and tenderly pet him.<br />
“You know Mr. Reindeer you have to be very careful in these parts of the forest, a<br />
lot of bear traps” As Tommy with all his strength tried to open the trap to set the<br />
reindeer free, the reindeer looked down at him and gave Tommy a small kiss and all<br />
of sudden Tommy opened it.<br />
“WOW I DID IT!” Tommy said with glee as he stood up petting the reindeer.<br />
The reindeer looked at Tommy and said “Thank you Tommy! My name is Dan<strong>ce</strong>r”<br />
Tommy looked up in total surprise and said “Santa‟s Dan<strong>ce</strong>r?” Dan<strong>ce</strong>r chuckled<br />
and said “Yes, I am… I gave you kiss on the back of your head and that way you<br />
understand me and gave you the strength to open the bear trap”<br />
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Tommy gave Dan<strong>ce</strong>r a big hug and said “Love you Dan<strong>ce</strong>r, can you lie down and I<br />
will wrap your leg with my scarf and no argument!”<br />
Dan<strong>ce</strong>r again chuckled saying “You sound just like Santa!” so with his limping he<br />
made it over to a ni<strong>ce</strong> pine tree and laid down. Tommy gathered some pine needles<br />
and took of his scarf wrap it around Dan<strong>ce</strong>r‟s front leg with the pine needles.<br />
Dan<strong>ce</strong>r looked at it and said “Not Bad for 8 year old boy” Tommy laughed and said<br />
“learned it from my Dad.”<br />
Tommy would not leave Dan<strong>ce</strong>r‟s side, he cuddled up next to him as the night fell<br />
he fell asleep, meanwhile, Dan<strong>ce</strong>r was able to turn on his beacon locater and the<br />
elves squadron came along with Santa. Santa heard the whole story about Tommy<br />
and how he rescued him, with a big smile from everyone, they put some sleep elf<br />
dust on Tommy and Santa took him home and like magic Tommy was in his bed, as<br />
matter of fact, mom and dad were put to sleep to. The next morning Mom and Dad<br />
took a peek and smiled as the closed the door and very quietly went to the table in<br />
the kitchen, mom said “I don‟t remember putting Tommy to bed and as matter of<br />
fact I don‟t remember you coming to bed!” Dad looked at his wife and said<br />
“Neither do I, I left work and the next thing I remember is waking up next to you”<br />
They looked at each other discussing for a while longer then they had coffee in<br />
front of the fire that neither both of them remember starting it.<br />
Tommy woke up and ran to his mom and dad and told them the whole story, mom<br />
and dad looked at their son and said with a smile “what a beautiful and amazing<br />
story” and Tommy looked at them with sad fa<strong>ce</strong> and said “Geez I thought it really<br />
happened” Dad took his son and sat with him and said “It‟s okay that was the<br />
greatest Christmas story I ever heard, so, how about you and me champ lets go and<br />
find a great Christmas tree” Tommy had big smile “YEP!” Tommy and his Dad got<br />
dressed and went to the storage shed and got a double handle saw and rope, the<br />
hike took about 10 minute walk and they found the perfect tree for their home. The<br />
smile and laughter between them was contagious they swear that even the birds<br />
were laughing, the tree feel they wrapped the tree with the rope and took it home.<br />
Dad took some wood and made a stand, him and Mom, well, mom found the spot<br />
for the tree and decorated with things around the housed and it was beautiful!<br />
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On Christmas day they saddled up their horse to the sleigh and went to a Christmas<br />
dinner to a neighbor 2 miles away, ride was perfect, the snowing finally stop, the<br />
blue sky and the sun made it absolutely beautiful. The dinner was fantastic, the kids<br />
played indoors then outdoors back to indoors and well you get the picture. After<br />
five hours, fantastic day it was time to go home before night fall, 15 minutes of<br />
hugs, kisses, handshakes and leftovers, they were on their way home. Again the ride<br />
back home was great, so, dad decided to give Tommy the reins for the first time and<br />
let me say that HE WAS GREAT!<br />
Well, when they got back home Tommy helped Dad to put the horse away and put<br />
his blanket over him and closed the doors then helped mom with the food giving to<br />
them as they walked up to their door they almost drop everything, the biggest and<br />
most fantastic Christmas tree decorated with gold balls, beautiful skirts all sorts<br />
decorations plus presents under and around the tree. In the <strong>ce</strong>nter of the tree was a<br />
card from Santa Claus and it read…<br />
Dear Josepha, Mary and Tommy<br />
I thank you for Tommy saving Dan<strong>ce</strong>rs life.<br />
Your Son should be Veterinary doctor as he<br />
Knew what to do, we here at North Pole<br />
Including Dan<strong>ce</strong>r Can’t thank you enough<br />
At Dan<strong>ce</strong>r’s asking, here are some presents for you<br />
Have a Merry Christmas<br />
Thank You So Much<br />
Santa Claus<br />
So, there you have it, is the story real? Mmmm can‟t tell, your the reader, your heart<br />
will know, be good!<br />
Santa Claus<br />
Elf History Library circa 1805 loaned to CEoMC<br />
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Georgio the Fly<br />
A 12 year old orphan boy lived in the back streets of<br />
Naples, Italy and his name is Franco. This is where our<br />
story begins.<br />
While walking the alleyways of Naples he found a half<br />
empty bottle of water with a fly larva in it, he took it.<br />
Every day he would talk to him about his adventures<br />
for that day. One day he saw the larva became a fly<br />
with a “G” on his back. He named his fly Georgio. With<br />
a big smile Franco said “Georgio, welcome my buddy”<br />
Georgio flew out of the bottle and landed on Franco’s<br />
shoulders and after that they were inseparable<br />
Some say that Franco and the fly talk to each other all<br />
the time and was becoming a nuisan<strong>ce</strong>; however, their<br />
lives were going to change!<br />
Way up on the North Pole, a new doll that could talk<br />
and answer little girl’s questions came to a halt on the<br />
assembly line over a very small wire inside the doll’s<br />
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head could not be connected. The Head assembly line<br />
manager took the doll’s head and went straight to<br />
Santa’s offi<strong>ce</strong>, he knocked on the door and Santa said<br />
come in…<br />
“Santa, see this very small wire, none of the elves have<br />
small enough hand’s to connect that tiny wire and we<br />
tried everything”<br />
Santa picked up the doll head and looked inside the<br />
tiny hole at the bottom of the doll and Mac was right,<br />
so, Santa said “Mac shut the line down and let me see<br />
if I can find a way to connect it, oh, give the boys a few<br />
days off” Mac said “yes Santa”<br />
Santa pondered while looking at the doll’s head then<br />
he remembered “Franco! I wonder if he still has<br />
Georgio?” He got up and as he walked out of the offi<strong>ce</strong><br />
he told his secretary Candy to get the sleigh ready with<br />
Pran<strong>ce</strong>r and Comet. Candy asked Santa where he was<br />
going for the flight path and Santa said while walking<br />
to the stairs “Naples, Italy!” He walked to the takeoff<br />
15
plat- form and the prep elf gave him his flight jacket<br />
and his flight glasses.<br />
“Okay boys, let’s go” and off he went at a speed that<br />
some plane pilots wished they could fly like that.<br />
About 1 hr later Santa turned on the cloaking switch so<br />
not to be seen and quietly went over the city. He then<br />
remembered the Pin he gave to Franco to always wear.<br />
Santa turned on the spotter and it bleeped, slowly and<br />
quietly landed, Santa walked up behind Franco and<br />
softly called his name. Georgio and Franco both turned<br />
around then happiness and tears came over them.<br />
Santa then said “We need both of you, how would like<br />
to be part of the family?” Georgio and Franco looked<br />
at each other and answered yes. As they and Santa<br />
walked through the cloaking field, from a 3 story<br />
window an old woman stuck her head out the window<br />
to throw some old bread out for Franco and she got<br />
the shock of her life as she watched Franco and a fat<br />
man disappear. She told what she saw and nobody<br />
believed her, she was always called crazy!<br />
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After 4 days Franco was cleaned up, new clothes and<br />
Georgio was fitted with a micro mini voi<strong>ce</strong> interpreter,<br />
Franco and Georgio talked the whole day. Santa and<br />
Mrs. Claus were very happy on having “A SON” of… I<br />
forgot that Mr. & Mrs. Claus adopted Franco through<br />
the Elf’s High Court, now Franco is Franco Claus.<br />
Georgio with his little red vest and his training got the<br />
baby dolls back into production.<br />
A foot note: Georgio managed to get 50 flies as<br />
workers on the line with the same micro mini voi<strong>ce</strong><br />
interpreter, little red vests and training AND they are<br />
still alive and well!<br />
With All My Love<br />
Santa Claus<br />
Elf History Library circa 1912 loaned to CEoMC<br />
17
REALSIMPLE<br />
7 Safe Ways to Celebrate Christmas That Have<br />
Nothing to Do With Zoom<br />
Here‟s how to find joy this holiday season—even if coronavirus cases change your<br />
traditions.<br />
By Lisa Milbrand<br />
site<br />
Click on REALSIMPLE for the main site or Lisa’s<br />
This Christmas, it may be hard not to feel a little Grinchy. But before you say,<br />
“Bah, humbug,” and try to fast forward into the New Year, look for ways to find<br />
some fun this holiday season. The coronavirus pandemic may mean your Christmas<br />
won‟t look exactly the same as it usually does, but you can get creative and find<br />
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some new ways to <strong>ce</strong>lebrate—and some of your ideas may be so good you‟ll make<br />
some new traditions along the way.<br />
Here‟s how to make your Christmas special, even if con<strong>ce</strong>rns about COVID-19<br />
mean you‟ll have to <strong>ce</strong>lebrate the holidays away from your friends and family.<br />
1 Prioritize the traditions that matter most to you<br />
“Think about what is the essen<strong>ce</strong> of the holiday for you, so you can try to preserve<br />
it,” says happiness expert Gretchen Rubin, author of Happier at Home. “Even if<br />
you‟re not doing everything you used to, you can set up the holiday decorations, if<br />
that‟s really important, or make the special foods you love.”<br />
RELATED: How to Put Lights on a Christmas Tree<br />
2 Do your gift shopping and shipping early<br />
Sin<strong>ce</strong> more people will be shopping online to avoid the stores, shipping companies<br />
will be inundated—so you‟ll want to shop and send gifts early to make sure they<br />
arrive right on time. (Check the USPS holiday shipping deadlines to make sure<br />
you‟re on track.)<br />
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3 Trim a tree outdoors<br />
Sin<strong>ce</strong> you might be entertaining outdoors more than you usually do this time of<br />
year, this is the year to go overboard with decking out your deck or patio—and<br />
adorning an outdoor-friendly tree (or even a live Christmas tree in a planter) with<br />
LED lights and shatterproof ornaments is the way to go. (Tip: Use twist ties or<br />
florist‟s wire to secure the ornaments to the tree, so they‟ll stay put even in a stiff<br />
wind.)<br />
Maybe Santa could even leave some of the best outdoorsy Christmas gifts of the<br />
year, such as snowshoes, skis, or sleds, at the outdoor tree, too.<br />
4 Make special memories<br />
Yeah, you and your household members may be a little tired of each other right<br />
now, but think of fun ways to help set the holiday season apart. Create a little<br />
advent calendar with festive activities for each day, rather than a treat. Your<br />
Christmas activities don‟t have to be elaborate—it could just be drinking hot cocoa<br />
together wearing Santa hats or watching one of the best Christmas movies on<br />
Netflix—but it‟ll help make the season brighter.<br />
5 Find ways to make the most of your time with loved ones<br />
To keep everyone as safe as possible, your best bet is following CDC<br />
recommendations and avoiding indoor get-togethers. (An outbreak of COVID is the<br />
Christmas gift that no one wished for.) And that means if you live in the northern<br />
part of the country, your time together will probably need to be briefer (and chillier)<br />
than you‟d probably like. Zoom fatigue is real, though: If you can, make events inperson<br />
and outdoors, even if it means a quick chat while everyone‟s bundled up.<br />
When gathering in person outdoors, consider keeping <strong>ce</strong>lebrations to the daytime<br />
hours, when it might be a little bit warmer and more comfortable to spend time<br />
outside. Look for outdoor activities that can be socially distan<strong>ce</strong>d and keep you<br />
active, like sledding or snow-fort making. And don‟t forget to serve hot foods and<br />
drinks to help keep everyone toasty. Do your Secret Santa or white elephant gift<br />
exchange around an outdoor picnic table or fire pit; for ugly sweater competitions,<br />
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strategize layering options so you can show off your light-up sweater and stay warm<br />
at the same time.<br />
6 Spread some joy<br />
If 2020 has taught us anything, it‟s how much the people in our lives mean to us, so<br />
go ahead and spread some happiness where you can. Write down how much the<br />
people you love mean to you and send it out to them. Make Christmas cookies and<br />
leave some with your friends and neighbors—or drop off pizza or other treats at a<br />
local nursing home, hospital, or fire department to brighten the lives of the people<br />
there.<br />
RELATED: 23 Amazing Gift Ideas That Don‟t Cost A Thing<br />
7 Remember that what’s different may make this holiday more special<br />
You may not remember exactly what happened at the holidays from year to year,<br />
but when something this different happens, it‟ll stick out. “Things that go wrong<br />
often make the best memories,” Rubin says. “This ex<strong>ce</strong>ptional holiday season will<br />
probably be more memorable because it‟s so different. We just have to find a way<br />
to make the most of it.”<br />
For more on this article and video click HERE<br />
Click on REALSIMPLE for more great articles<br />
21
Retail<br />
Retailers need to stoke the Christmas spirit<br />
to hit lofty holiday sales targets<br />
Published Wed, Dec 1 <strong>2021</strong> 3:11 PM EST Updated Thu, Dec 2 <strong>2021</strong> 11:13 AM EST<br />
Melissa Repko @melissa_repko<br />
Lauren Thomas @laurenthomas<br />
Key Points<br />
Target, Walmart and other retailers hope to keep holiday sales going strong in<br />
De<strong>ce</strong>mber, despite a wave of early holiday shopping, scar<strong>ce</strong>r deals and new con<strong>ce</strong>rns<br />
over the omicron variant.<br />
The total number of shoppers and average spending dropped during the extended<br />
Thanksgiving weekend compared with each of the past two years, according to the<br />
National Retail Federation.<br />
The trade group has reiterated its forecast for a record holiday season and<br />
projected a total of between $843.4 billion and $859 billion of sales in November and<br />
De<strong>ce</strong>mber.<br />
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Shoppers as<strong>ce</strong>nd and des<strong>ce</strong>nd an escalator at the Willow Grove Park Mall in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, November 14,<br />
2020.<br />
Mark Makela | Reuters<br />
Is it beginning to look a lot like Christmas? Perhaps not, this year.<br />
With 24 days until the big holiday, retailers hope consumers will keep spending. Shoppers<br />
started purchasing holiday gifts early this year, but the Thanksgiving weekend shopping events,<br />
from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, weren‟t as strong as some had hoped.<br />
Although analysts expect retail sales will hit lofty expectations, there is a lack of holiday buzz,<br />
according to Deborah Weinswig, founder and CEO of Coresight Research.<br />
“Typically, people are like „How‟s your holiday shopping going? What are you getting so-andso?,‟”<br />
she said. “I feel like some of that we don‟t have this year — and I‟m not sure why it is.”<br />
She said that could be due to consumers feeling distracted by the return of family gatherings<br />
and bigger parties, disenchanted by inflated pri<strong>ce</strong>s or more measured about their shopping<br />
approach as they work ahead to avoid out-of-stocks and shipping delays.<br />
And while she anticipates that retailers will put up a solid performan<strong>ce</strong>, she said it will be<br />
interesting to see how much of that comes from inflation and more merchandise that is bought<br />
at full pri<strong>ce</strong> rather than an increase in volume sold.<br />
‘Halftime’ instead of the kickoff<br />
Retailers including Amazon, Walmart and Target blasted holiday deals and Black Friday-style<br />
promotions as early as October. Consumers had other motivators this holiday season to buy<br />
gifts early, too. Instead of chasing deep discounts or nabbing the hot, must-have gift, many had<br />
fears of not finding anything worth buying because of supply chain woes. For months, shoppers<br />
heard about temporarily shuttered factories, congested ports and a shortage of truck drivers.<br />
That wave of early shopping may have stolen some of the thunder from major shopping<br />
holidays, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The total number of shoppers and average<br />
spending dropped during Thanksgiving weekend, which spans from Thursday to Cyber<br />
Monday, according to the National Retail Federation. Nearly 180 million Americans shopped<br />
during the five-day holiday weekend compared with about 186 million shoppers in 2020 and<br />
about 190 million in 2019, the trade group said.<br />
Average spending fell, too, with Thanksgiving weekend shoppers forking over an average of<br />
$301.27 on holiday-related purchases versus $311.75 in 2020 and $361.90 in 2019, NRF said.<br />
Consumers spent $10.7 billion on Cyber Monday, marking a 1.4% decrease from year-ago<br />
levels, according to data released Tuesday by Adobe Analytics. That is the first time that Adobe<br />
has tracked a slowdown in spending on major shopping days sin<strong>ce</strong> it started reporting on e-<br />
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commer<strong>ce</strong> transactions in 2012. However, it comes after last holiday season when spending on<br />
the shopping holiday grew by 15.1% versus 2019.<br />
The pri<strong>ce</strong> point of shopping carts rose by nearly 14% on Cyber Monday — and 19% for the<br />
holiday season overall — as some shoppers bought big-ticket items like furniture and others felt<br />
the pang of inflation, Adobe said.<br />
NRF CEO Matt Shay said early shopping has shaken up the role of peak sales days. Consumers<br />
started buying gifts, decor and more in October a year ago to avoid crowds. This year, supply<br />
chain con<strong>ce</strong>rns pushed up that timetable on<strong>ce</strong> again.<br />
“The Thanksgiving weekend and Black Friday, in particular, are closer to halftime now than the<br />
kickoff,” he said.<br />
Shay said NRF stands by its forecast for a record holiday season. The trade group projected<br />
spending in November and De<strong>ce</strong>mber will rise between 8.5% and 10.5%, for a total of between<br />
$843.4 billion and $859 billion of sales.<br />
Holiday retail sales have risen by 4.4% on average over the past five years, NRF said. Last year,<br />
they hit an all-time high of $777.3 billion, which represented a 8.2% year over year jump.<br />
Steve Sadove, former chairman and CEO of Saks and a current senior advisor for Mastercard,<br />
said he expects a strong season for the retail industry. He points to pent-up demand among<br />
consumers who have higher levels of savings.<br />
Mastercard SpendingPulse forecasts U.S. retail sales, excluding autos and gas, to grow 7.4%<br />
from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 from year-ago levels. It sees sales up 11.1% compared with 2019.<br />
And Sadove reiterated that expectation even after some data showed Black Friday and Cyber<br />
Monday demand tapering from each of the past two prior years. Mastercard sees particular<br />
strength in the luxury spa<strong>ce</strong>, jewelry and apparel, compared with 2020 and 2019 levels.<br />
“Clearly, it‟s been a spread out season,” he said. “Retailers started their promotions early. Black<br />
Friday wasn‟t about just that day.”<br />
A new variant and scar<strong>ce</strong> deals<br />
To hit high expectations, retailers will have to overcome fears of the new strain of the<br />
coronavirus, nudge shoppers to buy despite scar<strong>ce</strong> deals and fight off a potential De<strong>ce</strong>mber lull.<br />
News of the omicron variant broke just as Black Friday shoppers geared up for store visits.<br />
Some shoppers have run into unavailable items. Out-of-stock messages surged by 169% in the<br />
month of November compared to pre-pandemic levels in January 2020, according to data from<br />
Adobe Analytics. They are more than triple (258%) the levels of November 2019.<br />
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And discounting has been lackluster — even on shopping holidays. On Cyber Monday, for<br />
instan<strong>ce</strong>, discount levels for electronics were 12% off versus 27% last year, TVs were 13% off<br />
versus 18% last year and applian<strong>ce</strong>s were 8% off versus 20% last year, according to Adobe.<br />
Those discounts are expected to fade even more and settle into the 5% to 10% range in the<br />
weeks ahead, the company predicted.<br />
NRF‟s Shay said the omicron variant could actually lead to more sales for retailers. He said<br />
some consumers who had planned to book a trip, buy theater tickets or give another experiential<br />
gift may opt for goods instead.<br />
And even as public health officials and consumers learn more about the variant, he said “there‟s<br />
no need to panic.” He said the backdrop looks very different this holiday season, thanks to the<br />
majority of Americans being fully vaccinated.<br />
“We remain confident that we will continue to have a very positive trajectory in the overall<br />
economy and specifically, the retail industry, for this holiday season,” he said.<br />
Fighting De<strong>ce</strong>mber lull<br />
A wave of early shopping could increase the risk of a De<strong>ce</strong>mber lull, said Craig Johnson,<br />
founder of the consumer research firm CGP.<br />
The De<strong>ce</strong>mber lull in the retail industry refers to those few weeks after Black Friday and Cyber<br />
Monday and before the final days leading up to Christmas Eve when consumers may feel<br />
shopped out and decide to put their wallets aside for a pause in spending.<br />
Johnson said he has tracked the lull for more than a decade. As retailers pull promotions earlier<br />
and earlier into the season, they can steal sales from later in the season without increasing<br />
overall demand, he said.<br />
“People are either de-energized or they‟re taking a breather,” he said.<br />
According to his company‟s estimates, U.S. retail sales online and in stores on Black Friday<br />
totaled a record $34.9 billion, up 18% from a year earlier and up 12% from 2019. It is<br />
forecasting sales for the entire holiday season, including November and De<strong>ce</strong>mber, to be up<br />
6.7% year over year.<br />
He said two wildcards — the omicron variant and the rise of smash-and-grab crimes — could<br />
spook customers from returning to stores. In re<strong>ce</strong>nt weeks, Best Buy, Nordstrom and Louis<br />
Vuitton have all been targets of organized retail crime.<br />
“That puts a damper on everything,” Johnson said. “There could be an exa<strong>ce</strong>rbated De<strong>ce</strong>mber<br />
lull if that activity keeps popping.”<br />
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NRF‟s Shay said shoppers still have plenty of gifts to buy. About 84% of shoppers said they<br />
have already started holiday purchases, according to a survey of nearly 6,000 consumers in late<br />
November by the trade group. On average, they said they have completed about 52% of their<br />
holiday purchases, the survey found — meaning they have a little under half of their purchases<br />
still to make.<br />
Extended discounts, shoppable events and new merchandise are among the ways that retailers<br />
aim to grab attention and sustain momentum.<br />
The day after Cyber Monday, Rent the Runway sent an email to potential customers saying its<br />
one-day-only sale had been extended for another day. Fashion retailer Rebecca Minkoff‟s<br />
marketing email blasted out on Tuesday read: “Surprise! It‟s Cyber Tuesday!” Athletic apparel<br />
maker Bandier extended its deals. Department store chain Saks Fifth Avenue also had a twoday<br />
Cyber Monday promotion, similar to previous years.<br />
Target will debut a limited-time collection of nearly 300 Lego-themed items in early De<strong>ce</strong>mber<br />
on its website and in stores. It will include colorful clothing, home goods, pet ac<strong>ce</strong>ssories and<br />
more. The big-box retailer has a long history of using short-term collaborations with brands,<br />
such as Hunter, Lilly Pulitzer and more, as a way to drive foot traffic and web traffic.<br />
And Walmart will have more than 30 livestreaming events over the holidays to point out<br />
products people may want to add to the gift list.<br />
Delayed shipments: A blessing or a curse<br />
Delayed shipments could be a blessing in disguise for some retailers, if they re<strong>ce</strong>ive inventory<br />
in the next week or two that could freshen up store displays and fill up emptying shelves,<br />
Johnson said.<br />
“There may be a silver lining that alleviates some of the early De<strong>ce</strong>mber lull <strong>issue</strong>s,” he said.<br />
“But I think the risk is still more to the downside than the upside.”<br />
Retailers could lure some people back to spend more money if they clearly communicate about<br />
new inventory or new deals, said Adam Pressman, a partner at the multi-industry consulting<br />
firm AlixPartners. Not everyone will have the flexibility to expand their budgets, he said, but<br />
some consumers do.<br />
“Customers who were buying in early October versus potentially the end of November might be<br />
open to additional purchases or other things that are coming back into stock,” he said.<br />
Mastercard‟s Sadove said the biggest challenges could come after the holidays. Retailers may<br />
re<strong>ce</strong>ive a delayed shipments of inventory that is out of season, and wind up with a glut of items.<br />
That would trigger a higher level of markdowns.<br />
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“The supply chain could mess things up quite a bit,” he said. “Let‟s say you‟re a retailer that has<br />
Christmas trim that comes in February.<br />
Click on the Link : holiday sales targets for more information<br />
As American and Veteran I will never forget all those who served and<br />
perished. For those who are still here you’re not alone, enjoy your<br />
grandchildren and great grandchildren. At 11:48 am <strong>ce</strong>ntral times (7:48 am<br />
Hawaii) give a toast to their memory, with tears in my eyes, to all the<br />
brothers and sisters that gave it all, salute!<br />
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From my family and staff to your family, have a<br />
Merry Christmas and May Pea<strong>ce</strong> dwell in your home.<br />
From:<br />
Peter Nadal, Pam Kennoy, Rodrigo Esperanza,<br />
Nomar Shaw, Diane G and Big Poppa<br />
And<br />
The Nanomites<br />
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