Svetlana Tarasova: Christmas results – Osama bin Laden made for Christmas sales

Not only children and grown-up people usually look forward to Christmas holidays, but stores and trading companies as well. The Christmas shopping of 2001 has hit all probable records of Britain: the sums spent on shopping exceeded 6 billion pounds. But the results of Christmas sales have become more astonishing for the statistics. British stores started working early next day after Christmas, December 26. Over 14 billion pounds have been spent within two days. The sums were on credit cards mostly. Even old stock was in great demand during the sales.

Economists are summing up results of the “madness”: spending at the rate of 20 billion pounds is not typical of the English, who are traditionally thrifty. The sum makes up an absolute record over the whole British history of Christmas sale spending.

The situation has caused lots of debates and disputes in mass media. Most economists are sure, the upsurge is an evidence of British economy’s soundness.

But in conversations with ordinary British people we discovered an idea, that the Sept. 11 tragedy incited the people to follow the principle to live in the present. The shock caused by the terror acts inadequately influenced Christmas shopping and sales. The slogans of the sales – “Live in the present”, “Enjoy every day of your life”, etc. – helped people spend money hastily.

January is a traditionally dead month for stores. All money is spent and people may have a rest. The Christmas fever is over.

Svetlana Tarasova-Briton PRAVDA.Ru Great Britain

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/01/04/35343.html