Merry Christmas to Me

In a story that only the National Retail Federation could love, the Washington Post reported that “consumers are adding a very important name back to their holiday shopping lists this year: their own.” Evidently, the number self-gifting shoppers has risen four points since last year, say industry experts. (Wow – four whole points!) Retailers are doing cartwheels. Per the Post, one mall manager in the DC area said “self-shopping dominated the Black Friday weekend.” But don’t break out the champagne yet, lamented Gary Stibel, a retail industry expert. “Self-gifting is incremental at best,” he said. The ubiquitous female shopper (the person who buys the most) tends to put the kids, family and friends first when it comes to gift buying. "She's trying to take care of everybody, but she more often than not puts herself last," Stibel said. "She's too damn conscientious for her own good." Damn. What nerve.