Thursday, December 16, 2004

the shopping news

It's nice to know that in the 'season of giving' that narcissism and procrastination are top headlines. Click on the titles to read further.

Dear Santa, I Want . . . Oh, Never Mind. I'll Buy It Myself.
The holidays, it is generally accepted, are a time of giving, of sharing, a period when a spirit of generosity sweeps the land.

Behind the snow-globe fantasy, however, lies another, slightly skewed portrait of the seasonal altruism. For a lot of consumers the line appears to be blurring between giving and receiving. And the person one seems likeliest to shop for come December is, increasingly, oneself.

Malls will do anything to attract men
After years of hearing stories of men's dislike for shopping and propensity to wait until the last minute and buy whatever they see when they walk into the store, the marketing team at University Village brainstormed innovative ways to help the stressed-out (or lazy, or notoriously last-minute...), gift-giving guys and their expectant gift recipients.

The Eleventh Hour Pub, complete with food, top-shelf spirits and beer from The Ram Restaurant and fully outfitted with plasma-screen TVs showing the weekend's must-see games, is staffed with Personal Shoppers available to help men select the perfect gifts from a catalog of participating University Village stores.

The Personal Shoppers then handle purchasing the gifts, get them wrapped, and have them delivered to the table. There is no cover charge to get into the Pub and the Personal Shopper services are free.

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