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Holiday Gifts

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Holiday Gift Returns Expected To Be Up 10 to 15 Percent This Year

Value of returned gifts could exceed $117 billion.

While some analysts predicted as much as a 4 percent increase in sales during the 2012 holiday season, actual figures show only a 0.7 percent rise. The effects of Hurricane Sandy and consumers fears over the fiscal cliff are to blame, according to some experts. Regardless of whether sales were up a little or a lot, one thing remains true no matter what the economy is like - people will return gifts. A recent Chicago Sun-Times article quoted AlixPartners' Joel Bines who believes that free shipping and free shipping on returns removes a major hurdle to many shoppers' interest in returning or exchanging unwanted or ill-fitting gifts. If you are planning to return a gift this year, there are a few things to keep in mind. Different stores have …

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

When's the Last Day to Mail Christmas Presents?

Take note of these holiday shipping deadlines, and plan accordingly.

Time is running out for holiday gift and card shipping through the U.S. Postal Service. Mail parcels and packages by Dec. 14 for parcel post delivery by Christmas, and cards by Dec. 21, the post office's blog advises. If you miss those days, though, you're still OK—as long as you're fine with paying a little extra. Here are the absolute-last-day deadlines to keep in mind, according to the U.S. Postal Service's holiday calendar: One more date to keep in mind is Monday, Dec. 17: Traditionally, the post office's "busiest day is ... the Monday before Christmas as people mail cards and packages they prepared over the weekend," The Huffington Post reported last year. A good way to cut down on time spent waiting in line is to order your holiday …

Friday, November 30, 2012

Christmas 2012 Gift Advice: No Towels or Sporks for Grandma

Study reveals we buy according to our age and life stage. But, for gifts, is cemetery lot maintenance really a crowd pleaser?

  During the holiday season, many struggle with the anxiety of wondering if a recipient will really like his or her gift. Are you considering opera tickets for your great aunt? What about purchasing a photograph session for a person under 30? Or, maybe grabbing a game for granddad? If the data in a recent article on The Atlantic’s website is any indication, you may want to think foremost about a person's stage in life before purchasing. The article cites a report from HS Dent, an economic forecasting firm that looked at U.S. Census data regarding spending behavior by age groups. Some of the data is less that shocking – spending on hearing aids, prescription drugs and the upkeep of cemetery lots rises dramatically as we age. Expenditures on…

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