DENVER // Eager children wanting to give Santa Claus their Christmas list had to wait in a two-hour line that snaked through the Cherry Creek Mall last weekend. Queues at the cash registers, however, were significantly shorter. In Denver and across the recession-hit United States, retailers are reporting one of the worst holiday shopping seasons in a quarter-century, with sales taking a nosedive as nervous Americans cut back sharply on spending. "It feels a crazy time to be shopping because there is just so much uncertainty," said Sonjia Murray, who was hoping to locate every item on her list in just one day. Ms Murray said she would not buy fewer gifts this year, but like many others was seeking out bargains and hoping to spend less overall. "There are a tonne of sales, so you are getting more for your money," she said. Jason Taylor, who was taking a coffee break next to a filled shopping cart at a Target Superstore in Denver, said he and his wife had decided to cut out gifts they normally give to casual acquaintances, buying this year just for family and dear friends. His sister Jamie, seated next to him, said her tactic was to cut out frivolous gifts: "I avoided nicknacks and focused on buying stuff you can use," she said. Such frugal attitudes might seem sensible at a time of fiscal contraction and rising unemployment, however they come at a tough time for the retail industry, which has been reporting limp sales results since September, when a crisis on Wall Street derailed the US economy. There has already been a string of bankruptcies among major US retailers, including Circuit City Stores, the second biggest electronics retailer in the United States, which plans to close 155 of its stores and lay off as many as 7,300 people. Sharper Image and the home-wares giant Linens 'n Things have also declared Chapter 11, while major women's clothing retailers such as Talbots Inc and Ann Taylor Stores Corp have begun to restructure operations. Many economists and rating agencies are predicting the US economy will continue to contract in the first six months of 2009, and probably beyond. Spending, which accounts for two-thirds of the US economy, has never contracted for more than two quarters since the Second World War. Holiday shopping is critical to embattled US retailers, especially department stores, specialty apparel and electronics sellers, who depend on fourth-quarter holiday shopping for as much as 30 per cent of their annual sales and up to 50 per cent of their operating earnings. US stores have tried all sorts of gimmicks to attract customers this year: sales began in November and many malls, including Cherry Creek, put on shows, including live Christmas carol performances and puppet shows for children. Nothing appears to have worked, however. Although the extent of the 2008 decline will not be known until late January, when the government releases fourth-quarter gross domestic product figures, it is already clear that the US public is ringing in the holiday season this year by ringing up fewer sales at the cash register. Bloomberg has calculated that US consumer spending will drop 2.9 per cent in the third quarter, and the Fitch rating service this week predicted consumer tightening will continue into 2009. The monitoring group Spending Pulse has clocked year-on-year sales of appliances and electronics to be down about one quarter, while luxury sales - always the worst hit in a recession - slowed by almost one-third. What has retailers especially worried is the sharp decline in women's clothing sales, since women make the vast majority of retail purchases, and their spending is watched as a key barometer of the industry's health. From formal party dresses to factory outlet items, spending on women's apparel has dipped more than 21 per cent, according to MasterCard Advisors, a division of the credit card company that monitors spending off 300 million cardholders in the United States. Not all sectors are suffering, however. Such discount chains as Walmart and Costco have posted steady sales figures - although even their figures are down from 2007. And proving the old saw that people turn to the bottle in times of trouble, alcohol sales have held steady and in many states actually risen. Liquor excise tax revenues in Colorado, for example, are up seven per cent this year. But even when imbibing, Americans are trying to economise. "Our number of transactions are up, but people are spending less per transaction," said Steve Harp, manager of Lowry Liquors. Cheap wine and bargain liquor flies off the shelf, he said, while premium bottles gather dust. However there was at least one sector where no expense was spared. Two days before Christmas, Denver's upscale Timbuk Toys was doing a brisk business, as busy parents purchased last-minute gifts for their little ones. Brandie Cardenas, the store manager, said contrary to the national trend, customers at her store were choosing higher ticket items, and leaving cheaper stocking stuffers for another year. "People are taking more time and choosing gifts that are meaningful and that will last," she said, adding that it has been a strong year for the store. "Hearing reports of how poorly other retails sectors are doing, we have really felt relieved." gpeters@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20profile
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Company%20profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Scorebox
Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries Gormley, Penalty
Cons Flaherty
Pens Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons Caldwell 2
Pens Caldwell, Cross
