The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Facts and figures for the 2018 holidays

It’s that time of year. The holidays are upon us. Hanukkah has been celebrated and today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the least daylight and the longest night. Christmas is approaching rapidly as is Kwanzaa, Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.

Celebrants

Nine-in-ten Americans — and 95 percent of Christians — say they celebrate Christmas, according to a Pew Research Center survey. These figures have generally held steady in recent years. Today, 46 percent of Americans say they celebrate Christmas as primarily a religious rather than cultural holiday.

Top 10 stores for Cyber Monday shopping

Cyber Monday isn't just for Black Friday leftovers. Some of the year's best sales will take place on Monday, Nov. 26. So, you may want to save part of your holiday shopping budget for Cyber Monday deals.

Which stores will be offering the best savings? DealNews.com offers 10 suggestions, based on the best sales last year from Cyber Monday and the Sunday before.

1. Amazon

Best for: Gaming, toys, home, and almost anything else you can buy online

While plenty of other retailers offer Cyber Monday sales, none of them match Amazon's. Last year, DealNews.com saw three times as many Cyber Monday deals at Amazon as the next highest retailer.

10 gifts you probably won’t be able to buy this Christmas

 

Photo: Northwest

It’s possible some of the most popular holiday gifts won’t be available as we get closer to Christmas. Every year, last-minute shoppers find empty shelves when hunting for the season's top toys and gadgets – and they either end up paying huge prices or buying less exciting alternatives.

DealNews offers this list of products you probably won't find on store shelves in December. If you need to buy them, shop now.

1. Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
2. iPhone X
3. Google Pixel 2
4. Xbox One X
5. Nintendo Switch
6. SNES Classic
7. Hatchimals Surprise
8. Fingerlings
9. LOL Surprise
10. FurReal Friends

See “10 Things You Won’t Be Able to Get This Christmas” for details.

Copyright 2017, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

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Albertsons asked to ban toxic chemicals in everyday consumer products

Albertsons, the nation’s second largest grocery chain and its subsidiaries such as Safeway, are being urged to stop selling products containing or packaged with toxic chemicals such as lead, formaldehyde, parabens, and BPA.

Mind the Store campaign and health advocates across the country are calling on Albertsons to announce a safer chemicals policy to reduce and eliminate toxic chemicals, as Walmart, Target, and other retailers have done.

In a week-long campaign, advocates will be demonstrating outside stores across the country holding signs and distributing brochures to customers while wearing Hawaiian shirts, pool floats, and other summer items to remind consumers about the present of these chemicals in daily lives. Advocates will also be distributing petitions and making calls to the company’s headquarters.

Super Bowl 2017: Ads mostly unremarkable, but violence takes a new turn

Every year I watch the Super Bowl ads, hoping they’ll get better. I write about the ads because so much attention is paid to them, and they cost huge amounts of money. For Super Bowl 2017, the cost is $5.02 million for 30 seconds.

While last year I saw a small improvement in the ads, fewer sexist and ageist ads, violent ads continued to dominate this year, which along with the violent football game, is questionable TV viewing for kids.

However, one new disturbing type of ad emerged – T-Mobile’s ad featuring pain and sexual pleasure.

Facts and figures for the holiday season this year

The holidays are upon us. What are consumers up to in 2016?

Spending

Consumers plan to spend an average of $936 during the holiday shopping season. Total spending includes gifts for others, spending on themselves, food, flowers, decorations, and greeting cards for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, according to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation. Total planned spending this year is second to the record spending in 2015, $953.

Fifty-eight percent of consumers plan to buy something for themselves, spending an average of $140, up 4 percent from last year’s $134 and making it the second-highest level of personal spending in the survey’s 13-year history.

After Christmas sales are starting as early as Dec. 20

In 2012, "After Christmas" sales started appearing on Christmas Eve.

The sales have steadily crept back since then, according to DealNews.com. Last year an "After Christmas" sale from Macy's started on Dec. 20, with orders still guaranteed for pre-Christmas delivery.

Although most After Christmas sales still fall between Christmas and New Year's, tapering off through the month of January, many stores and websites are offering them earlier.

Trouble in toyland: Watch out for hazardous toys when you shop

Some toys that have been recalled for lead, powerful magnets, or other hazards may still be available for sale in online stores, according to U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund’s 31st annual “Trouble in Toyland” report. Consumers may also have recalled toys in their homes.

The report lists 44 different toys, for a total of 35 million toys, recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission from January 2015 to October 2016.

“We should be able to trust that the toys we buy are safe,” said Mike Litt, consumer program advocate for U.S. PIRG. “However, until that’s the case, consumers should understand two things: first, not all recalls may be well-publicized so you should check your house for previously recalled toys and second, some toys that are recalled may still be available online.”

Watch out for dangerous, toxic toys this holiday season, consumer group advises

Dangerous or toxic toys can still be found on America’s store shelves, according to U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s 30th annual “Trouble in Toyland” report. Although progress has been made in toy safety, consumers need wary when shopping this holiday season, the group advises.

Laboratory testing on toys found toxic chemicals, including chromium and phthalates, which can have serious, adverse health impacts on a child’s development. The survey also found examples of toys that pose a choking hazard, loud toys that can threaten children’s hearing, and powerful toy magnets that can cause serious injuries if swallowed.

“We should be able to trust that the toys we buy are safe,” said Mike Litt, consumer advocate for U.S. PIRG. “However, until that’s the case, toy buyers need to watch out for common hazards when shopping for toys.”

Store hours for Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday

Photo: Gridprop

Wondering what stores will be open on Thanksgiving? Need information on what the store hours are for your favorite stores on Black Friday.

Offers.com has complied the following list of which stores will be open for the consumers who are shopping during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Store Hours on Thanksgiving and Black Friday 2015

Store	Thanksgiving Store Hours	Black Friday Store Hours
AAFES	closed (online sale begins)	4 a.m.
A.C. Moore	closed	5 a.m.
Academy	closed	5 a.m.
Ace Hardware	closed	check locally
Apple Store	closed	check locally
Ashley Furniture	closed	7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Babies R Us	5 p.m. (check locally)	closes at 11 p.m. (check locally)
Banana Republic	TBA	check locally
Barnes and Noble	closed	8 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Bass Pro Shops	8 a.m. – 6 p.m.	5 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Bath & Body Works	4 p.m.	open
Bealls	6 p.m. – midnight	open
Bed Bath & Beyond	closed	check locally
Belk	6 p.m. open	10 p.m. closed
Best Buy	5 p.m. – 1 a.m.	8 a.m.
Big Lots	7 a.m.	6 a.m.
BJ’s Warehouse	closed	7 a.m.
Bon-Ton	5 p.m. (check locally)	12 a.m. (check locally)
Burlington Coat Factory	closed	TBA
Cabela’s	closed	5 a.m.
Carson’s	5 p.m.	open
Costco	closed	9 a.m. (check locally)
Craft Warehouse	closed	check locally
Crate & Barrel	closed	TBA
CVS	open	open
Dick’s Sporting Goods	6 p.m – 2 a.m.	5 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Dillard’s	closed	TBA
Dollar General	7 a.m. – 8 p.m.	check locally
DSW	closed	7 a.m.
Family Dollar	7 a.m. – 7p.m.	open
Five Below	6 p.m. – 1 a.m.	7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Finish Line	* open (online sale begins at 12:01 a.m.)*	open
Fred’s	closed	TBA
Fred Meyer	closed	5 a.m. (deals last until 1 p.m.)
GameStop	closed	5 a.m.
Gander Mountain	8 a.m. – midnight	5 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Gap	6 p.m. – midnight (check locally)	midnight – 10 p.m. (check locally)
Goody’s	2 p.m. – 1 a.m.	6 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Gordmans	6 p.m.	6 a.m.
Guitar Center	closed	6 a.m.
H&M	closed	9 a.m.
Half Price Books	closed	9 a.m.
Harbor Freight Tools	closed	7 a.m.
Herberger’s	5 p.m.	open
Hastings	TBA	TBA
HH Gregg	4 p.m. – midnight	7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Home Depot	closed (online sales start 6 a.m.)	6 a.m.
Home Goods	closed	TBA
JCPenney	3 p.m.	open
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft	closed	6 a.m.
Kmart	6 a.m.	10 p.m. close
Kohl’s	6 p.m. open	12 a.m. close (check locally)
Lowe’s	closed	5 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Macy’s	6 p.m. open	10 p.m. close (check locally)
Marshalls	closed	TBA
Menards	closed	6 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Michael’s	4 p.m. – 2 a.m.	7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Microsoft Store	TBA	TBA
Modell’s Sporting Goods	6 p.m. (check locally)	6 a.m. (check locally)
Navy Exchange	TBA	TBA
Neiman Marcus	closed	TBA
Nordstrom	closed	check locally
Northern Tool & Equipment	closed	6 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Office Depot & OfficeMax	6 p.m. – 9 p.m.	8 a.m.
Old Navy	4 p.m.	open
Palais Royal	2 p.m. – 1 a.m.	6 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Patagonia	closed	check locally
P.C. Richard & Son	closed	check locally
Peebles	2 p.m. – 1 a.m.	6 a.m. – 5 p.m.
PepBoys	closed	7 a.m.
Petco	closed	open
PetSmart	closed (online sale begins at 7 a.m.)	7 a.m.
Pier 1 Imports	closed (online sale begins)	8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Pottery Barn	closed	open
RadioShack	8 a.m. – 1 p.m.	extended hours
REEDS Jewelers	closed	12 a.m.
REI	closed	closed
Rite Aid	8 a.m. to 5 p.m.	7 a.m.
Sam’s Club	closed	7 a.m.
Sears	6 p.m. – midnight	6 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sears Outlet	6 p.m. – midnight	6 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Shoe Carnival	TBA	TBA
Shopko	4 p.m.	sale ends at noon
Sierra Trading Post	closed	TBA
Sony	TBA	TBA
Sports Authority	6 p.m.	6 a.m.
Sportsman’s Warehouse	closed	TBA
Stage Stores	4 p.m. – 1 a.m.	6 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Staples	closed	6 a.m.
Stein Mart	5 p.m – 10 p.m.	7 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Sur La Table	closed	TBA
Talbots	closed	7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Target	6 p.m.	8 a.m. – 11 p.m.
T.J. MAXX	closed	TBA
Toys R Us	5 p.m. open (check locally)	11 p.m. close (check locally)
Tractor Supply Company	closed	TBA
True Value	closed	check locally
Ulta	6 p.m. (check locally)	open
UnderArmour	check locally	TBA
Walgreens	8 a.m. – 10 p.m.	open
Walmart	6 p.m. (online sale begins at 12:01 PST)	24 hours

Twenty percent of consumers plan on shopping online this Thanksgiving instead of going to stores, compared to 16 percent in 2014, according to a survey conducted for Offers.com.

For Black Friday online shopping, slightly more than one in five say that they plan to shop mainly online, 22 percent, while only 16 percent plan to shop in stores. For those who will be shopping both online and in stores, it’s 17 percent.

Copyright 2015, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist