|
|
|
How are your readers doing with their Christmas shopping? Are the spending more or less than previous years? Are they relying on credit more or less? Are your local shops doing better or worse so far? Here are a few ideas, including a national study, to check in with retailers and readers in your area with less than two weeks left before Christmas.
SPENDING MORE, USING CASH: CNBC's All-America Economic Survey found that holiday shoppers plan to spend more than previous years, but they don't intend to put it all on their credit cards. Many are using cash. Check with your local shops to see if owners have noticed an uptick in spending and more local folks using cash. You can also do an online poll asking readers about holiday spending so far to see how it stacks up against the national poll.
READER INVOLVEMENT: Check in with readers either now or one week before Christmas to see if readers are on track with their holiday purchases. Ask them to send their progress on holiday shopping, and run the responses in your paper and online. The Repository in Canton, Ohio, had a nice holiday callout on Facebook: Tell us what's left to do on your Christmas list, from holiday cards to presents.
THIS YEAR'S TOYS: Check in with local businesses to see what's actually popular for children's toys. Electronics were supposed to be really hot, from tablets to gaming systems. But the Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Mass., has found that traditional toys, from Barbie to Hot Wheels, have dominated this holiday season. What's hot in your market?
Jean Hodges served as a reporter and editor for more than 20 years and led groundbreaking projects that won national acclaim before coming to GateHouse to launch the company's news service. She worked most recently at the Chicago Sun-Times' Daily Southtown, covering the south side and south suburbs of Chicago. Before that she worked at the Killen (Texas) Daily Herald, the Clovis (N.M.) News Journal and the Ely Standard in Cambridgeshire, England. She now works with GateHouse news organizations on content strategies, Web initiatives, plus she leads training programs such as webinars and LEDE, GateHouse's leadership program.
