Black Friday Gloom

Say what you will about the crass commercialization of the holidays, this is not good news for the economy:

The holiday shopping season is getting off to a rocky start as many retailers this morning posted dismal sales figures for November.

Though several said traffic and sales on Black Friday were solid, it was not enough to turn the month around for retailers. Industry experts are predicting that this could be the worst Christmas for retail in decades.

With Wal-Mart one of the few "bright" spots in retail, I guess a race to the bottom is in order -- which means cheap stuff to be had for all of us!

"It’s a terrible story for retailers and their margins," said Michael Unger, a principal with Archstone Consulting, "but if you’re a consumer looking for a good deal, you will find it."

That should definitely make up for a 26-year high in workers collecting jobless benefits.