ON-Line not In Line with Retailers.....UPDATE

THIS JUST IN.  It turns out - that chicken little was wrong!   After all the dust settled - on-line sales on Monday were actually up 15% from the previous year!!!  Sales were over $850 million - making it the second biggest on-line day ever!   Profit margins as I previously mentioned are another story - but the news sent the market rallying in any event.

Cyber Monday - the Monday after black Friday has proved to be the busiest day of the year for on-line retailers the last few years.   This year however, the click click clicking was not so loud.... e-tailers as they are called saw a decrease in sales on Monday from a year ago..    Traditional retailers however saw increases in thier business this weekend - but you have to ask yourself at what price?   The stores are practically giving away the merchandise - so it doesn't take an economic genius to forecast profits will be down in the next quarters.   Lets hope this WAKE UP CALL to manufacturers to stop  over-producing is really taken to heart this year.   Also, lets all do our part to conserve and buy less quantity but more thoughtful gift this holiday season.  

Many of your favorite retailers are offering HUGE sales and all kinds of incentive programs and even free shipping.   Barneys has great current sale merchandise and free ground shipping on their site.  Every price category is getting in on the act this year ranging from K-Mart to Chanel there are deals happening.   Chanel has a limited time offer of free shipping on cosmetics bought on-line.   This might be the only time you will ever see me write the words Chanel and Free in the same sentence!!  Get started on that holiday shopping before everything is gone!!

BLACK FRIDAY IN MADRID

I'm in Madrid for a long holiday weekend.   I spent "Black Friday" in the Prado Museum.   There is a Rembrandt exhibit on now and it is incredible to see all of these pieces in one show.   The museum has a permanent collection that is worth bragging about.   The amount of Goya, Velasquez, El Greco, Rubens, etc. is staggering!  It is a definite must see on your trip list.   More on Madrid to come later.   The news channels are full of accounts of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.  At this time - the siege continues and the death toll climbs.   It seems surreal to watch the networks  split their coverage between these hideous attacks and retail shopping in the United States!  It is before noon in the U.S. and already some shoppers have been at it for hours!   Early reports say more cash is being spent than in recent years - this could be a good sign that people are not running up their cards for holiday shopping.   Lets wait and see just what the results are this year!