By Crystal Silvas

By Crystal Silvas

Earlier this week the National Retail Federation (NRF) released a statement regarding holiday sales in 2007. According to the NRF, retail industry holiday sales rose only 3 percent over 2006. That figure excludes automobile, gas, and restaurant sales. When the automotive industries, gas and restaurant industries are taken into account, that figure becomes a weak 3.2 percent. The U.S. Commerce Department showed a 0.4 percent dip in sales from November to December, seasonally adjusted.

This was a major let-down in the retail community as the NRF had originally projected a much stronger 4 percent increase in retail sales over 2006. Chief Economist Rosalind Wells of the NRF blames this slothful holiday growth on economic pressures which “caused deterioration in the sales climate at the end of the year.” This represents the slowest holiday growth since 2002, which occurred in the wake of 9/11 when our entire country was stricken with grief and full of fear and paranoia. At least the retail climate is not as dire as it appeared in 2002 when growth reached a mere 1.3 percent.

By Crystal Silvas

In this day and age of global warming trends and uncertain national security, the threat of major disaster—natural or otherwise—is constantly looming. As anyone who watched media coverage of Hurricane Katrina or our recent San Diego Wildfires can tell you, it is always best to err on the side of caution when preparing a safety plan; whether the threat is imminent or not, it is always wise to expect the unexpected. It’s like having a comprehensive insurance plan in place; hopefully you won’t need it, but in the event that some unforeseen catastrophe comes up, you’ll be ready for it! Or at least that is the hope of Mayday Industries Inc. Mayday Industries, based in Orange County, California, is a leader in the wholesale industry of disaster preparedness and relief.