It was the day after Christmas and all through the house, not a
creature was stirring not even a mouse. Tinsel had found its way
onto the floor and the family had wrapping paper and boxes galore!
Even the leftover ham from Christmas dinner was no more.
It was the day after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. Tinsel had found its way onto the floor and the family had wrapping paper and boxes galore! Even the leftover ham from Christmas dinner was no more.
The children were saddened as most children would be, for they would have to wait 364 days until next Christmas, you see. But it really wasn’t as bad as all this, for each member of the family had gotten their wish.
A Blu-ray player for Dad and a Kindle for Mom, ordered from good old Amazon. Pillow pets for the girls had been under the tree, and even something for their little boy Lee. But even after all this had been done, the day after Christmas still had in store some fun. Stores slapped on their windows “After Christmas” sale signs, slashing prices on merchandise of all different kinds. And so the holiday season ended just as it began, with the spending of money and the few odd scams.
Despite being in the midst of hard times, this holiday season seems to have been more than successful when spoken in terms of Christmas sales. Fox28 reports that “analysts say this year’s Christmas shopping season has been the best since 2007, which was a record year itself,” in fact, “experts also believe that this year’s holiday sales could end up being as much as seven to 10 percent higher than last year.”
The word “believe” in the former statement is due to the fact that after Christmas sales have not yet been accounted. Although “After Christmas” sales may seem inane and preposterous – after all, why would you want to buy gifts after Christmas? – they are surprisingly successful. In fact, Fox28 states that “data shows that shopping between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1 accounts for more than 15 percent of holiday shopping totals.”
So what is it that people were buying this holiday season? What will they be buying?
The Amazon Kindle has certainly had quite a successful season. Amazon.com boasts, “Kindle is our No. 1 bestselling item for two years running. It’s also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon.”
As the first major e-reader, the Kindle has captivated its audience with its thin display and ability to store thousands of books.
Although Amazon will not release the exact number of Kindles sold, Steve Kessel, senior vice president, Amazon Kindle, stated earlier in the year that they’ve already sold more of their newer Kindle, “devices since launch than we did during the entire fourth quarter of last year – astonishing because the fourth quarter is the busiest time on Amazon.” The price? $139.
There has even been a new sensation for children.
My Pillow Pets are a children’s toy that converts back and forth from a pillow to a pet.
A small patch of Velcro and a strap control the transformation.
Pillow pets come in a variety of different animals, such as unicorns, bees, ladybugs, penguins, dogs and even dinosaurs.
Their allure for parents seems to lie in their functionality; momfinds.com happily states that “… this top 2010 Christmas toy is soft and cuddly, but it also pops into a full size pillow, so your kid can enjoy it during play time or bed time, at home or on the road.”
The website goes on to note that the pillow has been, “named by Toys ‘R Us as one of the top 15 holiday toys of 2010.”
And of course, there are Apple’s myriad coveted sleek and new products.
From the iPhone 4 to the iPad, many shoppers this holiday season have gifted Apple products. Other pieces of merchandise, such as Blu-ray players and “Call of Duty: Blacks Ops,” were also popular this holiday season.
It will be interesting to see if the “After Christmas” sales, which will no doubt offer more discounts on the items discussed here, will really boost this year’s holiday sales enough so that they, “could end up being as much as 7 to 10 percent higher than last year.”
But all this talk of material things may lead us astray – stuff to which to much attention we pay. So it is important that we mustn’t forget, that what Christmas is about is not what we get.
Sabrina Werts is a junior at Ann Sobrato High School. In addition to writing, she enjoys piano and dance.
