Forbes has a list of 12 disappointments with Christmas as they indicate that merchants are steeling themselves for a disappointing holiday season. I’ve made my comments, as a shopper and consumer, on whether I personally agree or disagree with their list.

1. Children have been insufficiently demanding. They don’t know our children, apparently! Let’s see what’s on the wish list in our household: Nintendo DS (3 of them), electronic drum machine, computer (laptop or desktop), various video games. I disagree.
2. Shoppers are waiting too long. We’ve got most our Christmas shopping done but we still don’t have a shopping list. I’ve seen the stores packed (not the malls as much though, so mall stores might be in trouble) so again, I disagree.
3. Consumers are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. This is true. Money is tighter and people want to make sure it’s allocated properly. I agree.
4. People are spreading their money around. In our house we pool our purchasing in a few places, for example like Best Buy who gets most of our electronics purchases. I disagree.
5. They forgot to get rich. With the exception of the Apple store, we don’t shop at luxury stores. I disagree.
6. They are letting others carry their burden. People buying the luxury items doing a disproportionate share of the shopping? Hmm, I suppose this could be true, but if they are the ones with the most money, doesn’t this make sense? I’m not reall sure, but I guess, that I agree.
7. They have forgotten that it’s the thought that counts. Gift cards make great gifts and this is something I haven’t seen marketed as well as in year’s past. I agree.
8. They torture retailers with procrastination. I hope by now most of those 12 million reported Americans have started shopping. We learned that the longer you wait, the worse it gets. People will always procrastinate though, so I can’t disagree with this one. I agree.
9. They are too warm. My slippers are worn out, and this time of year we are definitely making more winter-related purchases. I disagree.
10. They are too cold. Yes, cold weather does hurt retailers, but I think it helps online stores, so retailers should try to have a presence in both places to capture both audiences. I agree.
11. They prefer to eat. Rising fuel prices haven’t impacted us too much because we don’t drive our vehicles that much (my wife doesn’t drive, so that leaves me, one driver for multiple vehicle home). Food prices have definitely gone up, especially milk. Yes, this has some impact on spending. I agree.
12. They are turning retailers into Grinches early. I don’t like the lines and crowds at stores when shopping, so if there’s anything about the holiday that makes me a Grinch than that would be it. But I’ll be back at the stores when the shopping dies down. I agree.

Looks like I agree with 7 of the 12 on their list. So where do you stand on this list?

Did this post make you go hmm?

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