Britt Beemer Holiday Quotations

Our research on holiday gift returns shows that it's only three percent of Americans who are real jerks and they indulge in consumer fraud and return abuse. The rest of us have to deal with the consequences.

Today, only about one-third of holiday purchases are returned as compared to just four years ago, ... Returns are very expensive for retailers because they have to retag the item and mark down the price. If I bought something for $29 and return it, store may have to cut the price to as low as $14 before restocking it.

This summer, the consumer was cautious, with all the uncertainty going on in the country. But almost all of those worries are gone, and that is good news at the start of the holiday season.

Electronics is particularly hot cause there is nothing else that has created much excitement for consumers. Our research indicates that 44 percent of shoppers have completed their holiday shopping and about 20 percent still have to start it. This weekend we think more dollars will be spent overall. Apparel sales could benefit form colder weather but watch out for electronics to come out on top again.