If you really want it, you better buy it when you see it. Last year, most consumers procrastinated. This year, retailers will try to get people in early with great deals and deep discounts.

College students have money to spend, and stores are going all out - they have wandered into a gold mine.

Many malls will spend weeks, if not months, to start setting up. Many retailers are just trying to get a head start on the holidays so that when they arrive, they'll have everything decorated and in place.

Shoppers are putting a renewed emphasis on customer service. When shoppers go shopping, they want to be taken care of, especially on the crazy Saturday right before the holidays.

When Halloween merchandise starts to sell, moving in Christmas merchandise is a natural transition.

Small retailers don't have that kind of a luxury. That said, smaller retailers usually have a better pulse on their stores.

There's no question that gas prices will play a factor, but I don't think that the fallout will be as concerning as many analysts have feared, ... The holidays are something that consumers . . . plan ahead for. They tend not to be swayed by short-term economic circumstances.

It's a misconception to think that businesses don't start hiring until November. Most want seasonal employees hired and trained by the end of October.

Many retailers find that moving their business online brings them an entirely different set of customers than they would have found in their local market.