It’s official time to start holiday shopping. There is much speculation as to how consumers will feel this season, given the recession and the war. So the Business Journal asks:
Have you started your holiday shopping yet?
Phillip Maltin
Senior Counsel Konowiecki & Rank LLP
The answer is no. I usually try to come up with creative and appropriate gifts, and the time to buy is when the creativity strikes me. Who knows when that will be? I usually don’t plan it, it just sort of happens when I feel like I’ve got an idea for somebody.
Mitch Lasky
Chief Executive JAMDAT Mobile
No. I never start my Christmas shopping until after Thanksgiving. It’s tradition to procrastinate. I usually start at the beginning of December and I try to stay out of the stores the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Connie Hall
Account Supervisor Christine Anderson & Associates
No. My family is contemplating doing secret Santas this year. So instead of a bunch of little gifts that you have to buy for each member of the family, we’re considering drawing names so each person gets one large gift. We’re pretty sure we’re going to do it, so I can’t start until I know who I have to buy for.
Martin McDermott
Vice President Craving Home Inc.
Yes, I have. For our friends overseas we exclusively gave gift certificates. We’re done with that, because we had to plan ahead because of the shipping time. I personally shop online and place my orders and ship them out. Shopping online is easier, so that’s how I do most of my shopping. I probably won’t go into any stores this holiday season. During the holiday crunch time it’s easier to give gifts using the Internet. I’d say I’ve gotten about 70 percent done so far.
Jason Haim
Associate Principal Lee Burkhart Liu, Architects
No I haven’t. My wife generally takes care of those things for me, but I should probably start shopping for her. Unfortunately I don’t have any control over when Hanukkah is, so this year I have a huge crunch until December 9 and then I continue until the day before Christmas for the other people that I buy for. It seems like Hanukkah is getting earlier every year. I almost always end up shopping from Thanksgiving through Hanukkah then to the day before Christmas.
Anthony Bowles
Director of Western Regional Sales Operations Document Sciences Corp.
Yes. My Christmas shopping consists of what I’m going to get for my family, there’s only six or seven people I principally buy for. And, typically, I buy for my immediate family first. So as far as purchasing, I’ve got some clothing for my wife, which I bought over the Internet. Everything else I’m going to wait a few weeks until I start buying. I’ve asked everyone what they want, and my wife and I have consulted on what we want to get for our daughter. So now it’s just a matter of going out and getting everything.
