Shoppers cut back on spending this holiday season.
             Retailers are in for a gloomy Christmas. Recent interviews show that consumers are finding some creative ways to both cut back on the number of gifts they are giving and to spend less on the gifts they will give.
             John xxxxx, a computer programmer, says his family is going to do a lot less gift giving this year. His family has organized a "Secret Santa" scheme where everyone will only give a gift to the name they draw. Johns adds that he had bought ten gifts for his immediate family members in past years.
             Similarly, another consumer, Amy xxxxx, who has just been laid off from her job as a sales representative, states that her family has also devised a way to cut down on gift giving. Her family has agreed to just get presents for the children. Amy says, "Children are really what Christmas is all about anyway."
             Kathy xxxx, an executive recruiter, relates that she doesn't have much time for bargain shopping even though she knows that there are going to be a lot of good deals out there. Instead, she'll try to save money by buying fewer high-end gifts than she usually does.
             Eric xxxx, a city administrator, says he always tries to find good deals and this year will be no exception. He believes he'll spend about the same amount as last year, but this time around he thinks that he won't have to suffer through what he calls "The Horror of Black Fridays" to obtain bargains. He predicts that everyday will be a Black Friday up to Christmas.
             Another shopper, Diane xxxx, commented that she will be spending about the same amount of money on holiday gift giving this year. So far, she feels that her position as a marketing executive appears to be solid. However, even this consumer stated that she'll be doing her homework to get the very best deals.
             Even though the spending on gifts this holiday season will be mostly ...