The Christmas Shopping Outlook

NBC News Radio National Correspondent Rory O'Neill joins us to discuss how Americans are feeling about holiday shopping this year. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is West Michigan's morning News. Steve, Kelly, ret Keta,
Lawrence Smith joining us once again. Rory O'Neil, Nbciors Radio
National correspondent Ben, thanks for joining us today.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning, Steve. Happy Wednesday.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
A new survey study out about just what it's going
to cost us during the holidays, and we got ourselves
a grinch economy, Rory.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well right.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
The folks over at wallet hub asked Americans what they're
expected shopping plans will be. Nearly two and three Americans
say this economy is actually going to make the holidays
feel a little less fun this year, not as festive
as eighty five percent of Americans expect to spend what
they spent last year, and perhaps even less this holiday season.

Speaker 4 (00:43):
Here's something that doesn't sound great. Thirty three percent of
people say they are applying for a new credit card
to cover gifts.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Oh no, no news.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah right, yeah, especially when those rates are as high
as they are. And yeah, the fan has been knocking
them down a little bit. But still many of these deals,
especially those store credit cards. Whoa, those things are like
you know, mob loans, So yeah, be careful about anything
you're signing on to and if you are getting a
new credit card, make sure you pay it off at

(01:13):
the end of the month. Don't think you'll pay it
off by March when the income tax return comes in
or anything like that. Yeah, no, no, no, no, end of
the month.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Ry.

Speaker 5 (01:20):
I know my wife has freaked out about this, and
I've seen it personally myself. Is that people, And it's good.
I guess if you've got a budgeting plan because of
the economy, but buying stuff like crazy right now, I
mean just going nuts even last month before Halloween.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
Well, right, and that's been interesting too.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
Well yeah, sort of changing the date of the holiday
shopping season, right. I was listening in on a call
with the National Retail Federation and you know, the caller
was saying, hey, wait, you know you're counting two months
as the holiday shopping season. A lot of us, a
lot of us were hopping on the bandwagon for Amazon
Prime Days in mid October, and that's when we did
a lot of our Christmas shopping.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
What do they say about charitable giving? This season is
the time when most charities have their handout and make
the most of their money.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Throughout the year. We've got a turkey.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
Drop coming up next week for Meltrodter ministries that puts
turkeys in people's families that ordinarily don't get them anything
about that well.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Right, and a little bit troubling because for a lot
of these households that are stressed thin, there's only so
much money in the kitty, and so yes, if more
of it has to go toward holidays spending, that means
three and five Americans say they're charitable giving is likely
to be affected by inflation.

Speaker 4 (02:31):
Rory, I got to ask, we're talking you know, obviously
it's a scary time for a lot of people. Are
we going to be bringing out new credit cards? But
I also see that sixty one percent say they just
wish people wouldn't exchange gifts. Well, we see a hit
here where people are just not spending in the holidays.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, I think that's just Steve spreading the word because yeah,
come on, come on, doesn't want to get me anything?

Speaker 3 (02:55):
Okay, No, that is a great But this is why
everyone loves Thanksgiving, right, Yeah, there's pressure of the food,
but now we tend to even outsource that more and more.
But yeah, the lack of gift giving is such the
fun part of Thanksgiving. You get all the benefits of
coming together without the pressure of trying to find the
right size, the right color.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Are they gonna like it? All that non sense? Can
I afford it? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (03:15):
And I always give pants and I wouldn't begin to
guess your en seam at six foot eight, however tall
you are.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Do you give the pants away worth?

Speaker 5 (03:23):
For Thanksgiving?

Speaker 1 (03:24):
Or after it's coming after?

Speaker 3 (03:27):
I now we need the top to expand.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
What is your end, sceam, Now that we've both.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
Thirty six, come on.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
That's almost ten inches longer than me. I've got the
shortest legs on the study. Rory O'Neil, NBC News Radio
National Correspondent, Great stuff, Thank you.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Steve, you're the elf on the showf all

Speaker 3 (03:48):
Right, Thanks guys,