Streetvoice |
'Tis the Consumer Seasonby Ken Ilgunas |
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From the outside, the holidays seem to be a magical time of Christmas trees, family gatherings and festive decoration. But underneath all the red and green fluff is a dark side where mothers stampede and fathers rain blows to obtain that elusive gift. While little Kimberly thanks Santa after feverishly unwrapping that “Beautiful Bride” Barbie doll, she has no idea that mom was trampled by the hooves of consumer-crazy shoppers in order to purchase it. While some people hate this aspect of the holidays, others relish it. But for those who detest malls and waiting lines, online shopping can be a helpful alternative. The online trend is growing; according to the New York Times, Americans spent 26 percent more money online this Thanksgiving Day weekend than they did last year. Has consumerism taken the “Christ” out of Christmas, or does the pleasure of giving make it worth all the trouble?
Name: Gary Fleming
Occupation: Manager of a plastics company
Residence: Kitchener, Ontario
Do you enjoy holiday shopping or is it a chore? I enjoy it. It’s fun. That’s what I’m doing today.
Have you started your holiday shopping? Yes. I just started yesterday.
How much of your shopping have you done or do you plan to do online? I have done some shopping online, but I plan to do very little.
What is your favorite part of the holidays? Christmas, getting together with family, dinner. Giving gifts away and receiving the odd one.
Name: Renee Mahone
Occupation: CAN, HHA and PCA
Residence: Buffalo
Do you enjoy holiday shopping or is it a chore? I guess it depends on where I go. If the store is really crowded and there’s a lot of people who don’t know what they want, then it becomes a chore. But if it’s people who are going to get what they want and they’re moving about pretty easily, then it’s not much of a problem.
Have you started your holiday shopping? A little bit, but I haven’t gotten enough done to say, “yeah.”
How much of your shopping have you done or do you plan to do online? None. I haven’t done any shopping online. I don’t trust that.
What is your favorite part of the holidays? Wrapping the gifts and seeing people’s expression when they get the gift you know they wanted.
Name: Tony Hejna
Occupation: M & T Bank
Residence: Buffalo
Do you enjoy holiday shopping or is it a chore? It’s painful. It’s just painful. It’s time consuming, and it’s a painful waste of time.
Have you started your holiday shopping? I actually have not started shopping and I won’t for a couple weeks.
How much of your shopping have you done or do you plan to do online? If the New York State Department of Revenue is asking, the answer is zero percent. But in actuality, probably most.
What is your favorite part of the holidays? The parties.
Name: Linda DeCrescante
Occupation: Nurse
Residence: Burnt Hills, NY
Do you enjoy holiday shopping or is it a chore? It’s a chore. Mainly because of the crowds.
Have you started your holiday shopping? Yes. Last week after Thanksgiving.
How much of your shopping have you done or do you plan to do online? About a quarter of it. I like it except for the shipping and handling charges.
What is your favorite part of the holidays? Getting together with people.
Name: Jeanie Williams
Occupation: County Clerk
Residence: Buffalo
Do you enjoy holiday shopping or is it a chore? I enjoy it. It’s always nice giving and buying something for someone else and trying to find the right gift for them.
Have you started your holiday shopping? Yes I have. I started a couple weeks ago.
How much of your shopping have you done or do you plan to do online? I don’t shop online. I like going to the stores with all the crazy people.
What is your favorite part of the holidays? There’s a couple. I enjoy decorating and getting together with family and friends for Christmas and enjoying the meal with them and being with your loved ones.
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