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[ ♪ MUSIC ]
Seth: MOST OF US ENJOY THE
HOLIDAY SEASONS, BUT WITH THE
GOOD ALWAYS COMES THE BAD.
TOD MARKS THE CONSUMER REPORT
SENIOR PROJECT EDITOR AND
JOINING US FROM UNION SCARE
HOLIDAY MARKET IN NEW YORK CITY
TO SHARE WITH US SOME OF THE
SHOPPER'S BIGGEST GRIPE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE WITH
YOU.
Seth: I HOPE YOU'RE KEEPING
WARM.
IT IS DECEMBER IN NEW YORK,
SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE GOOD
WITH THE BAD.
Seth: THAT'S WHAT THE
SHOPPING SEASON YOU NEED TO DO,
TOO.
YOU MUST BE SURROUNDED BY A LOT
OF PEOPLE.
WHAT ANNOYS THE PEOPLE YOU TALK
TO ABOUT THE HOLIDAY SEASON?
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
EVERYBODY GIVES YOU THE
STATISTICS OF HOW GREAT THE
HOLIDAY SEASON IS, AND RETAILER
PERSPECTIVES AND WHATNOT, THAT'S
WELL AND GOOD.
BUT CONSUMER REPORTS DO WHAT WE
CALL THE THE HOLIDAY JEER INDEX
WHERE WE TAKE THE PULSE OF THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC AND WHAT THEY'RE
DREADING FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
WHEN WE FOLLOWED IT UP THIS
YEAR, AND WE FOUND SOME
INTERESTING THINGS.
THETHE BIGGEST GRIPE OF ALL ARE
CROWDS AND LONG LINES.
PEOPLE GET BLOWN OUT OF SHAPE IN
THOSE CROWDS AND LONG LINES.
THAT'S NOT THE ONLY GRIPE.
GAIN ITING WEIGHT.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO CONCERNED CONCERNED
ABOUT--HEROES--HERE'S A FUNNY ONE,
PARKING LOT.
PEOPLE WHO GO AROUND PARKING
LOTS NOT BEING AWARE OF THEIR
SURROUNDERS.
THERE ARE OTHERS THAT MAKE YOU
SCRATCH YOUR HEAD OR WONDER IN
AMAZEMENT.
4% SAID THEY CAN'T STAND BEING
NICE THIS TIME OF YEAR.
OTHERS SAY DO I REALLY HAVE TO
SEE UNCLE JOHNNY OR AUNT JANE,
14% OF PEOPLE SAY THEY CAN'T
STAND HOLIDAY MUSIC.
AND 20% OF PEOPLE SAY I DON'T
WANT TO GO SHOPPING THIS YEAR.
IT RUNS THE GAMUT FROM THE
SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS.
Seth: YOU CAN'T PLEASE ALL
THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME.
HERE IS A TIP.
WALK AT THE END OF THE PARKING
LOT AND THEN WALK IN AND THEN
YOU DON'T GAIN WEIGHT AND YOU
DON'T HAVE THE CONUNDRUM.
I PARK CLOSEST TO THE EXIT IN
THE PARKING LOT SO I DON'T HAVE
TO DO A SLALOM BETWEEN PEOPLE.
BUT 22% OF PEOPLE WE SURVEYED
SAID THEY WOULD LIKE TO HANDLE
THE HOLIDAYS DIFFERENT.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO RELAX MORE.
SPEND LESS TIME TRAVELING ON THE
ROAD.
SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE PEOPLE
THEY WANT TO BE WITH.
GO TO FEWER PARTIES AND
GATHERINGS, AND SURPRISE,
SURPRISE, MANY MORE PEOPLE SAID
THEY WANT MORE "ME" TIME.
THE THINGS THAT YOU THINK ABOUT
THAT COULD MAKE THE HOLIDAY
SEASON MORE JOYOUS AND ENJOYABLE
ARE THINGS THAT RELAX AND
MINIMIZE STRESS.
HOW MANY OF US ARE MOTIVATED
DURING THE HOLIDAYS TO ACT WITH
COMMON SENSE?
WE'RE RUNNING AT FULL TILT AND
THAT CREATES THE GRIEF AND THE
AGGRAVATION.
Seth: LET'S SIMPLIFY IT FOR
PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.
WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO BE LESS
STRESSED OUT DURING HOLIDAY
TIME?
WELL, I THINK NOT WORRY ABOUT
THE PERFECT GIFT.
WE ALL TALK ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS
GIFT HAS TO BE THE BEST AND THE
BRIGHTEST, BUT REALLY WHAT IT
COMES DOWN TO, PEOPLE TELL US
THEY'RE STILL CONCERNED ABOUT
THE ECONOMY.
PEOPLE WILL SPEND $500 ON
AVERAGE PER PERSON ON GIFTS.
PEOPLE WE SURVEY SAY I JUST WANT
PRACTICAL GIFTS, SOCKS, SWEATER,
SHIRT, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO
OUT AND BREAK THE BANK, WORRY
ABOUT GIVING THAT PERFECT
PRESENT.
YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH COMPANIES
THAT DON'T GIVE YOU A LOT OF
GRIEF.
WE DO OUR ANNUAL NAUGHTY AND
NICE LIST THIS TIME OF YEAR
WHERE WE SINGLE OUT COMPANIES
THAT ARE CONSUMER FRIENDLY OR
NOT SO CONSUMER FRIENDLY
BEHAVIOR.
WE TAKE OUR NAUGHTY AND NICE
POLL OF PASSERSBY AND SAY WHAT
CAN COMPANIES DO TO MAKE IT
BETTER.
NO BRAINERS.
PEOPLE WANT TO DEAL WITH
COMPANIES THAT ARE NICE, THAT
GIVE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND
OFFER GOOD PRICES. DO YOU
REALLY HAVE TO DO A POLL TO TELL
PEOPLE THAT?
THE REALITY IS SEEING IT AND
DOING IT ARE TWO DIFFERENT
THINGS, AND IF COMPANIES
ACTUALLY LIVE BY THEIR WORD WE
WOULD ALL BE HAPPIER.
BUSINESSES WOULD DO BETTER.
AND THEY WOULD SPEND LESS MONEY.
IT'S NOT MAGIC CURE.
IT'S JUST DOING THE THINGS THAT
PEOPLE WANT AND NOT GETTING ALL
CAUGHT UP IN THE HOLIDAY MADNESS
BUT ENJOYING THE MOMENT.
Seth: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BRAVING THE COLD.
I LOVE YOUR TIPS BECAUSE IT WILL
HELP US BE MORE JOLLY THIS
SEASON.
MY PLEASURE.
YOU HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAY SEASON,