VOA双语新闻：12、美国零售商为2015年购物季做好准备（在线收听）

美国零售商为2015年购物季做好准备

It's the most profitable time of the year for retailers, accounting for 20 to 30 percent of annual revenue.

这是一年中零售商最重要的盈利期，收入占到全年的20%到30%。

And this year, close to 150 million U.S. citizens will go shopping over Thanksgiving weekend, says Kathy Grannis Allen of the National Retail Federation.

全国零售联合会（NRF）的凯西·格兰尼斯-艾伦说，今年有接近1.5亿的美国公民将会在感恩节过后的周末购物。

"So this is our Super Bowl,” she said. “And this is really the one time in the year that the gloves are off and the competition just heightens."

她说：“所以，这是我们的‘超级碗’。这真的是一年中动真格大干一场的时候，竞争加剧了。”

To compete, some stores will open early and stay open later. Nearly all promise big savings to attract the maximum number of shoppers.

为了竞争，一些商店提早开门，延长营业时间。为了吸引最大人流,几乎所有商家都保证大打折扣。

Bucking the trend

But this year, some retailers – including Nordstrom and Costco – will remain closed on Thanksgiving, while outerwear retailer REI will be closed on Black Friday as well. While their profits could take a hit, business author Kevin Paul Scott says the message is about tradition and family values.

但是今年，包括诺德斯特龙(Nordstrom)、好市多(Costco)在内的许多零售商在星期四的感恩节这天却关门休息，而户外服饰零售商REI在“黑色星期五”这天也将关门。商业事务作家凯文·保罗·斯科特通过Skype对美国说，虽然这些商家的利润会受冲击，但是这种姿态传达了传统和家庭价值观。

"And people will remember that,” he said. “And beyond the holidays, when they're buying Mother's Day and Father's Day gifts next May and June, they will remember these retailers – they'll spend more money there and those retailers win in the long run."

他说：“人们将会记住它。并且，在这个节日之外，当他们在明年5月、6月买母亲节和父亲节礼物的时候，会记起这些零售商。那时，他们会在那些商店花更多的钱。从长远来看，零售商赢了。”

Overall, more people are opting to avoid the crowds. This year, the NRF says more than half of all holiday purchases will be made online – with one in five Americans using a tablet or smartphone. That's the highest since the NRF started asking the question in 2011.

但是更多的人会选择避开人流高峰。全国零售联合会说，今年有一半以上的节日购物将会在网上进行。五分之一的美国人在使用平板电脑或者智能手机购物。这是国家零售联合自2011年开始问这项问题以来的最高数字。

"The most interesting part is not how much they spend, although that's important,” Paul Scott said, “but where they're spending it. And we're going to see online shopping really, I think, put a dent on a lot of traditional brick-and-mortar stores this year."

全国零售联合会的格兰尼斯-艾伦说：“我们相信数字技术会推动网络购物，一年更比一年多。”斯科特说：“我觉得最有趣的部分不是他们花了多少钱，虽然那很重要。而是他们的购买方式，我们将会看到,今年的网络购物真的会抢走很多传统实体商店的业务。”

Ready to spend

Despite tepid sales last month, lower unemployment and rising wages could give Americans more disposable income this year, says economist Gus Faucher.

PNC金融服务集团的经济学者格斯·福彻说，尽管上个月销售平平，但是今年的失业率降低和工资上涨会给美国人带来更多的可支配收入。

"They're benefiting from lower gasoline prices, as well.” Faucher said. “That gives them more money to spend on things, lower home-heating costs, so that's good news. We're adding a lot of jobs, seeing stronger wage gains. I think that people are going to be in the mood to spend."

他说：“他们也受益于较低的汽油价格，这样他们可以把更多的钱花在别的事情上，家庭取暖成本降低，所以这是个好消息。我们的工作机会正在增加，工资正在上涨。我认为人们会有心情购物。”

According to the NRF, the average American consumer will spend about $805 dollars on gifts this season. That's more than $630 billion between November and December, an increase of 3.7 percent from last year.

全国零售联合会说，平均每位美国消费者会花费大约805美元买礼物。这意味着在11月和12月之间，会花费超多6300亿美元，比去年增加3.7%。