PBS高端访谈:传统的消费行为在疯狂购物周发生了改变

 　　ALISON STEWART: Experts expect tomorrow's so-called Cyber Monday sales to see an uptick over last year, but will it be enough for businesses to consider the extended shopping weekend a success?

　　For some insight, we're joined now by Shelly Banjo of The Wall Street Journal.

　　And, Shelly, let's just talk about the numbers, the sheer numbers.

　　ALISON STEWART: What kind of spending went on? And when did it happen, given so many stores opened on Thursday?

　　SHELLY BANJO: Sure.

　　So, we're seeing spending online skyrocket, just up double digits¹, just the same as last year, really going above years past in both Thanksgiving and on Friday and throughout the weekend.

　　Different numbers have come out vs. how the brick-and-mortar retailers² have fared, but pretty much on par³ with last year.

　　ALISON STEWART: Let's talk about that brick-and-mortar vs. online debate. For a while, it seemed that brick-and-mortars were a thing of the past; everyone was shopping online.

　　Is that the case for this year?

　　SHELLY BANJO: I think that online people definitely were shopping more, but people still went out to the store.

　　So, I went out to a Wal-Mart on Thursday night at — after Thanksgiving, and the lines were out the door so much that I couldn't even get in.

　　So, obviously, that's anecdotal evidence, but you're definitely still seeing people show up and go to the stores.

　　ALISON STEWART: Did the Thursday openings, did that have an impact on the Black Friday sales and Saturday?

　　SHELLY BANJO: I think it just shifts it.

　　So, I think what is starting to happen is that you can't really look at just the Black Friday numbers, because when you're having sales all week, especially on, you know, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, you can't just look at the Black Friday numbers in isolation⁴.

　　ALISON STEWART: So, this has become more of a marathon, rather than that — that sprint⁵ on Friday.

　　SHELLY BANJO: Right. Right.

　　ALISON STEWART: So interesting.

　　I wanted to get your take on the idea of the sort of packaging of this weekend, that you have Black Friday, and then Small Business Saturday, and then today is Good Shopping Sunday, where some stores are offering a percentage to charities. And then tomorrow is Cyber Monday.

　　Is this actually reflect people's behaviors and their wants, or is just a marketing⁶ ploy⁷ to have retailers just continue to have people focused on shopping?

　　SHELLY BANJO: Right. I think it's probably a little bit of both.

　　I think that a lot of people are — are coming to expect deals. But I asked one of the Wal-Mart executives this question, and he said, you know, I can't — let's just call it November at this point… you know, because it's like every single day, there's some sort of sale, some sort of marketing gimmick⁸.

　　And not only are you having sales, but then you're also getting personalized e-mails telling you to come in, get an extra 10 percent off.

　　So, it's just about messaging and continuing the hammering down to the consumers, you know, now is the time to get a deal to keep them coming in the doors and shopping.

　　ALISON STEWART: There's also an interesting statistic⁹ out there, that people are shopping for themselves initially¹⁰, that they're self-gifting.

　　Is this good news for the economy and good news for the shopping season, or what is it — or is it just an effect of the economy, that people are waiting to buy things themselves until they go on sale?

　　SHELLY BANJO: I think people are — are waiting to buy things for themselves to go on sale, especially things like phones, laptops, televisions.

　　Seeing a ton of consumer electronics this year, which is rare and interesting, because consumer electronics haven't actually been doing that well.

　　And so a lot of people have been buying these things for themselves and waiting because they know that this discount is going to come now.

　　ALISON STEWART: Traditionally, there's a lull¹¹ after this five-day period. What is the forecast?

　　SHELLY BANJO: I think it's going to be a struggle for retailers to keep shoppers coming in.

　　They have got three — three or four weeks now until Christmas. And there's generally a huge kind of run-up in Black Friday weekend and then the Saturday before Christmas. And, in between, that's when the real fight, I think, is going to be fought.

　　ALISON STEWART: You were saying that 10 and 15 percent doesn't cut it anymore with a sale.

　　SHELLY BANJO: Yes.

　　You know, you see these signs now 40 percent off, 50 percent off in October. So, why am I going to be excited about 10 or 15 percent off at a store?

　　ALISON STEWART: Shelly Banjo from The Wall Street Journal, thank you for being with us.

　　SHELLY BANJO: Thanks.

1 digits   

n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾

参考例句：

• The number 1000 contains four digits. 1000是四位数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The number 410 contains three digits. 数字 410 中包括三个数目字。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

3 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

4 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

5 sprint   

n.短距离赛跑；vi. 奋力而跑，冲刺；vt.全速跑过

参考例句：

• He put on a sprint to catch the bus.他全速奔跑以赶上公共汽车。
• The runner seemed to be rallied for a final sprint.这名赛跑者似乎在振作精神作最后的冲刺。

6 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

7 ploy   

n.花招，手段

参考例句：

• I think this is just a government ploy to deceive the public.我认为这只是政府欺骗公众的手段。
• Christmas should be a time of excitement and wonder,not a cynical marketing ploy.圣诞节应该是兴奋和美妙的时刻，而不该是一种肆无忌惮的营销策略。

8 gimmick   

n.(为引人注意而搞的)小革新，小发明

参考例句：

• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。
• It is just a public relations gimmick.这只不过是一种公关伎俩。

9 statistic   

n.统计量；adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• Official statistics show real wages declining by 24%.官方统计数字表明实际工资下降了24%。
• There are no reliable statistics for the number of deaths in the battle.关于阵亡人数没有可靠的统计数字。

10 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

11 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。