RSSBuyer’s Remorse Gets Its Own Holiday
Dec 23
Humor Retail, satire, Shopping Comments Off
Just as the economy is tanking and the sales outlook predicted by the International Council of Shopping Centers is the lowest in forty years, the federal government is ready to declare the day after Christmas a new national holiday: Buyer’s Remorse Day.
The holiday, according to Bush representatives, will be enacted as part of the so-called midnight laws, last minute regulations by the outgoing administration that have the force of law. The purpose of Buyer’s Remorse Day is to empower consumers and get them back into the stores. The administration is hoping that by making it a national holiday, employees will be given the day off and go spend their free time in retail shops across the country. Ultimately, the hope is that the increase in customer traffic will have a positive boost on retail stores’ bottom line and improve consumer confidence.
Typically, the day after Christmas is a big day for retailers to see returns and exchanges of Christmas gifts gone awry. In past years, retailers set tight caps on returns in order to prevent people from exchanging items well past the Christmas season. This season, with sales down and customers haggling more than ever for the best price on already discounted goods, the return policy is becoming softer and more flexible than ever before. Major retailers, from Circuit City Inc. to J. Crew, are extending Christmas returns to the end of January, and matching prices on items customers bought back before Thanksgiving.
The new trend is largely the result of a massive depression in sales, forcing retailers to bow to consumer demands for more lenient return policies and matching other stores’ sale prices. The federal government hopes to capitalize on the new economy and turn the day after Christmas returns into a positive for consumers and retailers alike.
