Phil Rist Quotations

The popularity of gift cards is soaring among consumers of all ages.

Many consumers were driven to the stores last weekend by great sales on electronics and toys. Now that many of the most popular electronics are affordable for the average shopper, people are picking up DVD players and digital cameras as gifts, but also for themselves.

Shopping is a sensory experience. People are subconsciously recording things like the layout of the store, the lighting, whether the aisles are overflowing, whether the prices are clearly indicated and how easy or difficult it is to find a product every time you visit a store.

Obviously price is key to determining where people choose to shop. But after that, it's customer service.

Nobody wants to pay for an over-priced item. Donald Trump doesn't want to pay more than he has to for something. For groceries, price is the No.1 issue, whether people admit it or not.

Over the past few years we have seen the bulk of the Valentine's spending shift from young adults to middle-aged consumers.

Retailers look forward to the Super Bowl every year, knowing that it means big business.

Restaurants and bars will benefit greatly from this group's increased spending power.

Wal-Mart gets more than 100 million customers a week. It's still growing its sales double-digit every year.

Though a large percentage of shopping has been completed, many sales have not been recorded due to heavy purchasing of gift cards, which are not recorded until merchandise is redeemed. Most consumers will have their shopping completed by Christmas Day, but will head out after Christmas to take advantage of discounted merchandise and spend gift cards.

Though many consumers are more financially comfortable now than they were a year ago, they are still looking for great prices and savings on gifts and everyday merchandise. The retailers that succeed this holiday season will be those that continue to focus on sales and promotions to drive traffic.

The Super Bowl is becoming big business for retailers. In addition to purchasing hats and snacks, consumers will be purchasing high-end merchandise, like TVs and entertainment centers, which quickly raises total spending figures.

And that's by design. Stores do not want to lose their loyal shoppers - customers who have a history with a favorite regional department store.

Taking a look at shopping patterns, we see that consumers are either taking advantage of bargains to purchase items for themselves, or perhaps they are subconsciously buying items for others that they would like to receive themselves.

Gasoline prices are still eating in the consumers' wallet, and fuel costs are now in the price of products that people buy, bringing about inflation worries. The consumer is going to be more budget conscious in the months ahead. They are going to shop around, or they are simply going to shop less.

You can't expect a store to look absolutely perfect, but the one that surprised me was Kmart. Kmart isn't a flea market-type store. It needs to do a much better job in making its store more attractive to customers.

The jury is still out. Obviously you can create efficiencies by having to only market a single brand across the nation. But at the individual consumer level, I don't know if people are excited. You can change a Kaufmann's to a Macy's, but the staff and lay out remain pretty much the same.

This holiday is definitely a boost for retailers, thanks to the 25Ê- 34 year-old age group. Restaurants and bars will benefit greatly from this group's increased spending power.

This holiday is definitely a boost for retailers, thanks to the 25 - 34 year-old age group. Restaurants and bars will benefit greatly from this group's increased spending power.

The Easter holiday signifies the kickoff to spring, for both consumers and retailers. As Easter approaches, we will begin to see more pastel colors and seasonal merchandise hitting the shelves.