Posted by: marvelousgirl on: October 13, 2009
Despite economic gloom casting a spell on consumer confidence this year, America’s darkest holiday is looking bright for retailers. According to industry research firm IBISWorld, Halloween sales are expected to reach a record-breaking $6 billion in 2009, up 4.2 percent from the $5.77 billion generated last year.
“Economic recovery appears to be around the corner and consumers are enthusiastically looking to escape their recessionary woes,” said Toon van Beeck, senior analyst with IBISWorld. “Even last year, when the outlook was much worse, the Halloween spirit remained unhindered as we saw total sales actually jump 5.1 percent from 2007.”
It appears an increasing number of people are buying treats this year, making candy the fastest growing holiday category. The average person is estimated to spend about $22.50 on Halloween treats in 2009.
Also fuelling this year’s record-breaking sales is the demand for holiday decorations. With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, more adults are expected to join the fun. In fact, 32 percent of people celebrating the holiday will either host or attend a party. For this reason, IBISWorld expects decorations to reach its highest level yet at $1.64 billion.
“Halloween-related festivities are a growing trend and this is driving sales of decorations and candy,” adds van Beeck. “Dollar and variety stores stand to benefit from the 4.4 percent increase in decoration sales, as consumers look to purchase cheap and disposable thrills to make a memorable evening.”
Call it escapism or just good, old-fashioned fun, Americans of all ages show the desire to go all out when it comes to dressing-up. Costumes are expected to generate the greatest amount of revenue this Halloween, but growth is slight (2.4 percent) as consumers will apply more frugal but creative approaches when shopping.
”Despite more people participating in festivities, money is still tight and consumers will look to cut corners when it comes costume purchases,” said van Beeck. “Instead of buying a packaged costume, which can cost up to $60 on average, people will get more eclectic and opt for cheaper individual items.”
But given the lack of growth for the card category, not all cheaper items will fare well this year. While cards did well last year, as consumers chose to cut back on pricier categories, 2009 expenditures will revert back to traditional shopping habits.
“Although unemployment is still very high, the overall outlook is far rosier today than it was this time last year,” adds van Beeck. “For this reason, IBISWorld expects the upward trend in Halloween expenditures to continue its course for 2009, which despite economic conditions will prove to be the best year yet.”
Posted by: marvelousgirl on: June 30, 2009
This year, 4.3 million babies will be born in the United States, representing a 0.4 percent decline from 2008. While recessions typically lead to fewer birth rates, the latest research from Los Angeles-based IBISWorld shows that not only does parenting get pricier with time, but the impact of current economic conditions will further exacerbate the financial commitment.
“We can expect to see a surge in the boomerang generation [ages 18-24] returning home and continuing financial dependency on parents due to a scarce and competitive job market,” said Toon van Beeck, senior analyst at IBISWorld. “This phenomenon has become more apparent in recent years, with higher costs in tuition and rent making transitioning into adulthood increasingly difficult. Thanks to the recession, many parents will get prolonged time with their kids until their debt is paid off or market conditions improve.”
From the moment of conception to age 18, the average cost of raising a child is about $227,862—which translates to an average cost of $12,658 a year. A household yielding an annual income of less than $45,000 will spend roughly $156,469 on their child until they turn 18. Incomes between $45,000 and $75,000 spend $214,829, while households earning $75,000 and above splurge over $312,286 by the time their teen graduate’s high school. Afterwards, parents can expect to shell out for college tuition, along with additional financial burdens induced by a stagnant economy.
Also relative to the total average cost spent on a child is location. For instance, those who reside in the west pay the most per child in the nation – 8.1 percent above average – due to higher income levels and cost of living. In eastern regions, such as New England, a child is 4.9 percent more expensive, whereas raising a child in the south meets closest with average figures.
With housing encompassing the greatest portion (35 percent) of total expenses, expect to see adverse effects brought on by foreclosures and rising unemployment – especially in hard hit states like California and Arizona.
“We have already noticed an influx of middle-income families, particularly from California, relocating out of state in search of more affordable housing and employment opportunities,” said van Beeck. “The ability for parents to afford a better quality of life for their child is of utmost importance, and it entails sacrifices.”
Posted by: marvelousgirl on: June 30, 2009
Just because we’re in a recession doesn’t mean we have to look like it, right? Well that’s Coach’s “new bag.” The company has created a less expensive Poppy line to fit the times without cheapening it’s luxury image.
According to Lew Frankfort, chief executive at Coach, the average price of the Poppy collection will be be $260, about 20 percent less than the usual.
Main pieces from the new line were tested in nine Coach stores and 23 deparment stores this spring. Two bags that did better than expected were the Groovy and the Glam (pictured).
Posted by: marvelousgirl on: June 15, 2009
The APA conducted a new survey about the effect of the current economic crisis on women and their families’ mental health. Here are some of the highlights of the survey of women ages 30 – 54 years:
· More than two-thirds (68%) of women feel the current economic crisis has had a negative impact on them and their families.
More than half (55%) said the current problems with the economy have had a negative impact on their mental health.
Despite the negative impact on their mental well-being, most of the women prioritized others’ needs and other responsibilities over their own mental and physical health.
Although 76 percent of women polled say they are participating in more positive activities than they were six months ago, they also report sharp increases in stress, anxiety, frustration and other negative mental health indicators over the same time period.
The survey reiterates a woman’s tendency to put others’ needs before her own, and shows how important it is that she addresses her own mental health needs so she can more effectively address the needs of her family. HealthyMinds.org offers women and their families information on mental health and the economy as well as a variety of other mental health topics.
Posted by: marvelousgirl on: June 9, 2009
Despite the economic downturn and retail sales plummeting, this Father ’s Day it looks like dads are going from handyman to dandyman, as sales of pampering services and related products are expected to increase 35.7 percent, according to industry research firm IBISWorld.
Although pampering services only accounts for a small portion of total Father’s Day spending on the nation’s 66.3 million dads as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, pampering is emerging as this holiday’s fastest growing gift category with consumers expected to spend $190 million compared to $140 million in 2008.
“Traditional Father’s Day gifts, such as tools and electronics are declining this year while spa services, personal care products, and greeting cards are increasing,” explained Toon van Beeck, senior analyst with IBISWorld. “It seems that ‘New Age’ dads are this year’s fad.” Mr. van Beeck added, “According the U.S. Census Bureau, there are an estimated 66.3 million fathers in the nation today which demonstrates the impact spending on Father’s Day has on the U.S.
Posted by: marvelousgirl on: May 21, 2009
This Memorial Day it’s all about savings, as consumers look to cut costs while still maintaining a fun three-day weekend. Fortunately savvy shoppers, who purchase store brands over brand-name products, stand to save 16.3 percent on their total holiday grocery bill, according to IBISWorld research to the left.
“In essence, store brands turn the clock back two to three years,” said Toon van Beeck, senior analyst with IBISWorld. “Without inflation, store-brand groceries this Memorial Day weekend are comparable in price to brand-name groceries during the 2007 holiday.”
Based on the average holiday shopping cart above, the 16.3 percent savings puts about $10 back into consumers’ pockets. That means with approximately 117,641,000 households in the U.S., the nation could save about $1.18 billion if everyone celebrated Memorial Day in the same fashion and went the store-brand route as opposed to the brand name route.
Posted by: marvelousgirl on: May 17, 2009
With the recession in full force, many people are putting off their engagement ring shopping until better times. But, thanks to the hot new trend of band stacking, you can now move forward with your wedding plans and still be chic – for cheap. Women these days are passing on the giant solitaire and instead opting for two, three or even four wedding bands!
The trick is to choose different stone shapes, colors and sizes. For those even more daring, throw in a yellow-gold band among your white-gold, platinum or silver bands.
No one has to know you can’t afford a giant rock, because the trend of stacking wedding bands is ultra glamours!
engagment ring, budget, cheap, recession, bling, diamond,
Posted by: marvelousgirl on: March 26, 2009
With the economy in trouble, it seems that security is among one of home owners’ major concerns.
According to Larson Brewer, the owner of Phoenix-based Suncoast Security, the company’s alarm installations grew from 15 per week in 2008 to 25 per week in 2009. Suncoast is adding as many as 17 jobs to its staff and has plans to expand to Colorado and Washington to meet the rising demand for security.
“New business is coming from residents and business owners concerned that they will see an increase in break-ins because of the down economy,” explained Brewer. “Crime is not going down. In fact, it’s gone up and we expect it to continue to rise.”
What do industry analysts say?
“Security alarm systems are considered a discretionary purchase, therefore revenue is expected to decline 2.3 percent in 2009,” explained George Van Horn, senior analyst with industry research firm IBISWorld. “Last year, about 65 percent of alarm systems were purchased from businesses, 20 percent from government centers and 15 percent residential. An increase in demand may be a reflection of recent budget cuts in local police forces.”
Is your home protected Marvelous Girls? If you don’t have an alarm system in your house, you should really think about getting one. Better safe than sorry when it involves you and your family.
Posted by: marvelousgirl on: March 25, 2009
Companies like Ubisoft are trying to get a piece of the female demographic with games like Fashion Designer, Movie Star and Babyz, but they may not be putting all their eggs in one basket.
Demand from the female demographic is expected to slow according to industry research firm IBISWorld, and for this reason gaming companies may refocus on their loyal, most important demographic – young male gamers.
Reasons:
• The recession is hurting female spending on games more than male spending. Male gamers are more inclined to consider gaming as a ‘compulsory’ expense than women, for whom it is unequivocally a luxury.
• The popularity of communal games such as Guitar Hero, SingStar and the Wii console’s offerings have been far more popular than strictly female-oriented games.
These factors will all combine to slow growth in female gaming. By 2013, IBISWorld expects female gamers to represent around 41 percent of all gamers.
Recession hits female gamers
Sony Corporation
Gamestop Corporation Class A
Microsoft Corporation
Electronic Arts Inc.
Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Posted by: marvelousgirl on: March 24, 2009
Everyone faces stress one time or another. It confronts us at our jobs, follows us into our personal lives and strikes us in unseen circumstances. And, with today’s challenging economy, more people are experiencing stress. If not handled properly, stressful situations can lead to unhealthy choices, like sleeplessness and poor food choices. More serious cases could even lead to chronic stress and clinical depression.
During Stress Awareness Month this April, health care professionals and health promotion experts, like Symmetry, use educational materials and informative events to increase public awareness about the causes and ways to alleviate stress. According to the American Institute of Stress, stress is America’s number one health problem. Heart rate and blood pressure soar, blood sugar rises and clotting occurs more quickly under stress. Repeatedly invoked, these signs could contribute to hypertension, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, ulcers, neck or low back pain and other diseases.
“If you don’t respond to stress wisely, and let it continue to affect your day-to-day activities and lifestyle, then it could turn into a rollercoaster of unhealthy decisions,” said Rudy Revak, president and chief executive officer for Symmetry Corporation.
The following are some tips to keep in mind:
Work It Out! Take frequent trips to the gym to release stress. Or, try going to a martial arts or kickboxing class to let out the frustration. This not only alleviates the stress, it helps you stay fit.
Just …Relax. Treat yourself to a walk in the park or make an appointment at the spa for a massage. Another option might be to treat yourself to something you enjoy, such as reading a book, playing with your grandchildren, or painting. Sometimes all you need is some “me” time. This helps your overall well-being.
Take Your Vitamins. Stress can manifest from a deficiency of important nutrients like vitamin A, B, C and E. Therefore, eat a good portion of fruits and vegetables and consider incorporating vitamin supplements into your diet.
For additional information about the Symmetry, please visit www.symmetrydirect.com.
mom, baby, expecting mother, kids,
