While clothes and books were the big attractions for in-store shoppers on Black Friday weekend, Cyber Monday — so far — is all about consumer electronics.

I spoke to Graham Jones, vice president, merchant accounts for PriceGrabber.com, midway through the day, and he said online shoppers were already creating a clear trend. GPS devices and Nintendo Wii-related items were overwhelmingly taking up the top slots in sales halfway through the day (on the East Coast).

“The big story in previous years was HD-TVs and plasmas,” said Jones. “They were at the top last year, and now they’re not even in the top 20 this year….People still want to buy electronics, but they don’t want spend as much [as prior years].”

Jones also said more people are buying practical gifts this year, and PriceGrabber is seeing an increase in traffic for home improvement and auto service purchases. PriceGrabber is an online comparison shopping site that tracks its traffic by its referrals to merchants.

“So you have people wanting to gift but to [help the recipient] save money also,” he said.

The online spending typically begins around 9 a.m. Eastern and continues until about 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST, corresponding with the workday. Peaks are typically around lunch hours (between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. EST) and towards the end of the workday (between 4 and 6 p.m. EST), according to PriceGrabber’s statistics.

So fess up…who here’s been shopping at work? And what did you get?
Top products for Cyber Monday as of noon EST
1. Wii Console
2. Apple 8GB iPod touch – Black
3. nuvi 255W Wide-Screen Automotive GPS
4. iPod touch 16GB MP3 Player (Internal Flash Drive, 22 Hours)
5. Wii Fit
6. nuvi 265WT GPS
7. Office 2007 Home and Student (Full Product, PC)
8. Digital Rebel XSI 12MP Black Digital SLR Camera w/ EF-S 18-55mm Kit
9. nuvi 765T GPS
10. D90 SLR Digital Camera Kit
11. Xbox 360 Premium System
12. Apple 8GB iPod nano Blue
13. nuvi 205W GPS
14. Apple 32GB iPod touch – Black
15. Nintendo DS Limited Edition Pokemon Pack

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After tallying 5,000 votes between 42 candidates, the Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau (AACCVB) has announced 12 winners for its “More than a Pretty Face” contest.

Says the tourism bureau, “contest winners epitomize the spirit of giving and selflessness that make Annapolis and Anne Arundel County so appealing.” Here are some of your winners:

Longtime Annapolis resident and Maryland State Senator John Astle

Annapolis Chief of Police Michael Pristoop

J. Ernest Green, Music Director of Live Arts Maryland

Hands off ladies — these men are taken! Actually there were some women who made the final cut, but I couldn’t find pictures of them — sorry gals.

The More than a Pretty Face contest served as a prelude to the AAACCVB’s winter marketing campaign, which kicks off Monday with a new homepage look and feel. Visitors to www.VisitAnnapolis.org homepage can click on the “More than a Pretty Face” icon to read more about the winners, see their pictures, and view a video in which they describe what makes the destination special to them.

I’m all for promoting local figures…but it’ll be interesting to see if this campaign really makes any kind of splash with people OTHER THAN locals. When I think about destinations I’ve been to, I don’t really care what the chief of police has to say about it — I care more about what there is to do and how to get around.

But maybe I’m being cynical…thoughts?

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Individual spending during Black Friday weekend (the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving) was down 8 percent this year to $343.31, or about $29 less than last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

And that’s even though the number of shoppers increased for the three-day kick-start to the holiday shopping season — 195 million shoppers visited stores and websites over Black Friday weekend, up from 172 million last year.

Shoppers appear to be diversifying their limited spending as purchases in most categories went up or stayed the same over last year. Toys, sporting goods, health/beauty items and gift cards were up over last year. The most popular purchases were clothing (50.9 percent), consumer electronics (36.9 percent) and books (40.3 percent), which remained nearly unchanged over last year.

The only categories to see a decline in purchases were home decor and “miscellaneous/other.” To see the full survey results, click here.

Here’s what NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin had to say: “While retailers are encouraged by the number of Americans who shopped over Black Friday weekend, they know they have their work cut out for them to keep people coming back through Christmas. Shoppers can continue to expect retailers to focus on low prices and bargains through the end of December.”

While Black Friday has typically NOT been the biggest sales day of the year (that has usually come during the first two weeks of December), the Friday after Thanksgiving in 2008 did end up being the top day of that year for retailers.

Considering how the rest of the season went (a total spending decline of about 3 percent), it seems retailers have every reason to be worried about what this year’s Black Friday weekend means for the rest of their season. And they had better be hoping that this year’s Black Friday isn’t yet again the biggest shopping day of the year.

Maybe some retailers can make up the difference with online sales. But that’s looking shaky too — 28 percent of shoppers during Black Friday weekend bought something online, according to the NRF. That’s down from 34 percent last year.

Stay tuned for another blog today on a Cyber Monday sales update from PriceGrabber.com’s president, Laura Conrad.

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Here’s something to chew on as we enter the holiday-food binge: Maryland is among six states where more than half of all residents will be obese by 2018. That’s according to a new report based on findings from Emory University health care economist Ken Thorpe, who heads up the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease.

No pun intended, but that’s huge.

Thorpe finds that if trends continue, then 43 percent of American adults, or 103 million people, will be obese, and the costs associated with obesity would quadruple to $344 billion in 2018. But he says that the U.S. can save $200 billion if obesity levels hold steady at 31.3 percent.

With all the talk in Washington about cutting health care costs, it sounds like obesity should be a big target for Congress.

If Thorpe’s predictions are correct, 52.1 percent of Maryland adults will be obese in 2018, with related health care costs of $7.9 billion. In 2008, 31.2 percent of the state’s adults were obese and $1.4 billion in related costs were spent.

People that have body mass indexes above 30 are considered obese. (Go here to calculate your BMI).

Oklahoma is projected to be the worst off in 2018, with 56.1 percent of adults falling into the obese category. Ohio would have the highest related costs at $16.2 billion. (Oklahoma has 3.6 million residents compared to Ohio’s 11.5 million).

Which state would fare the best? Colorado, known as the leanest state in the nation, would have the fewest adults who are obese at 29.8 percent, but Connecticut would have the lowest associated costs at $2.9 billion. (Colorado has 4.9 million residents compared to Connecticut’s 3.5 million).

Thorpe doesn’t offer much in the way of advice on how to stop obesity levels from increasing in his report — he briefly mentions that including calorie and fat count on restaurant menus has the potential to cut obesity growth in half and that taxing high-calorie sodas can help.

But in a piece on the Huffington Post, he identifies four ways to attack the issue:

1. Convince Americans that obesity is a serious medical condition that increases other health risks (diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease), not a lifestyle choice.
2. Make sure the stigma attached to obesity doesn’t overshadow the need to combat it.
3. Get employers invested in wellness.
4. Reconfigure health care system to allow docs to treat obesity as a preventable health condition.

If none of those options work out, looks like The Biggest Loser might have to start accepting more contestants.

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Owens is also the host of Baltimore’s longest running Public Affairs show, 2 The Point.

After longtime reporter (and recently turned anchor) Terry Owens announced he would be leaving WMAR, the station is in the interesting position of not having an anchor from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. in less than two weeks. (Hat tip to David Zurawik for breaking the news.)

Owens is the second anchor to take a buyout at the station after Mary Beth Marsden took one last week. Her last day is Dec. 2.

Station vice president and general manager Bill Hooper said the station is not revealing who has taken a buyout until they are final, but he did say the two anchors are the only ones that have “signed the paperwork” for a buyout. The buyouts began this fall and close in a couple weeks (Hooper would not be more specific).

Owens has been the anchor of the 5:30 p.m. nightly newscast for the last two years and a reporter for the 11 p.m. broadcast. He has been with the station for 15 years. Marsden anchored the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts and has been at the station for 21 years.

Hooper said Channel 2 would not be ready to announce their replacements until the buyout period is over. He said those who sign the buyout paperwork now still have the chance to change their minds before the period’s close.

“All that creates lots of moving…parts,” Hooper said. “We certainly have a plan. We want to move forward but didn’t want to announce anything until we’re done with that. Because, for example, Terry moving, that makes us move to plan ‘A,’ number two.”

And on top of the overhaul, WMAR’s ratings have been consistently in the bottom tier of Baltimore’s four network affiliates. But — aside from the sentiment of it all — I wonder how much two anchors leaving will matter in the grand scheme of things?

In this climate where viewer loyalty is slipping and ratings are becoming more dependent on the primetime lead-in to the newscast, I don’t know if any fewer people would watch WMAR after this month than they do now. But maybe the station can use it as an opportunity to rebrand itself with fresh faces and an aggressive marketing campaign.

But then again, buyout season usually means a business doesn’t has oodles of resources to spend on that kind of promoting. Will WMAR seek to make a big splash or just work on getting by?

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The National Retail Federation is predicting up to 134 million people will shop this Friday, Saturday or Sunday — that’s higher than the 128 million people who planned to do so last year.

According to the survey, conducted by BIGresearch, 57 million people say they will definitely hit the stores while another 77 million are waiting to see what retailers are planning before heading out the door.

Here’s the breakdown:

* 66.3 percent plan to shop at discount stores
* 62.4 percent plan to shop at department stores
* 41 percent will shop at electronics stores
* 36.3 percent are going to a clothing/clothing accessories store
* 28.8 percent are shopping at a grocery store (this to me is most interesting)

Most people are heading out the door before 9 a.m. with a few (one in 10) braving the Midnight-to-3 a.m. hours, and about 28 percent each heading out from 4 to 6 a.m and 7 to 9 a.m.

Pamela Goodfellow, a senior analyst with BIGresearch noted in the news release that consumers are still expected to remain cautious. But “the anticipation of Black Friday deals seems to be coaxing shoppers out of hibernation, many arriving to stores early and with coupons in hand.”

We’ve also heard caution that inventory levels will be lower this year, as Lisa Bisenius, associate general manager at the White Marsh Mall, noted in my story last month: “…if people see something they want, they’d better get it because you may not get it at a later date.”

I wonder if that perception will drive Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) shopping this year, only to see a drop off in the week following. Do consumers feel they had better get their gifts now while there still in stock? Will we see that last-minute-shopper surge this year or will that be more subdued?

One thing’s for sure though, the bargains will again be hot this year. Shop.org’s CyberMonday.com, will feature a “Deal of the Hour” on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Retailers participating in the Black Friday Deal of the Hour include Overstock.com, Sears and American Eagle. (Click here for the full list of companies and times.) Offers include free shipping, discounts and free gifts with purchase.

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In no particular order some of my parking lot/garage pet peeves are:

1) Patiently waiting for a space only to have someone steal it from you.

2) Being stuck behind a car in a garage that YOU know will only have free spaces on the top floors…yet the person in front of you is delusional and inches along looking for that mythical free space on floors one through six.

3) Someone has pulled into their parking space with no regard for humanity and is hanging over into the space next to it, essentially taking two precious spaces while the rest of us are desperately driving around and hoping we’ll find a place to park before sundown.

So, yes — there are some holiday shopping stresses to be endured before we even set foot in the mall. AAA Mid-Atlantic has sent out a news release reminding us all to be nice to each other in the Land of No Civilization (otherwise known as the parking lot).

“Do not let trivial parking lot wars dim your holiday glow,” the release says. “Avoid petty confrontations that can result in additional holiday expenses, including fender-benders, personal injuries and a general Grinch-like attitude.”

Here are some of AAA’s tips:
1) Head for the side door. Many shoppers want to park near their favorite stores or near the mall entrance. Most malls have secondary entrances on the sides and those entrances usually have less traffic and additional convenient spaces.
2) Play the outfield. Outlying areas normally have more open spaces, lighter traffic and a lower risk of collision. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to walk off the holiday treats. In some cases, however, those spaces may not be as secure so be aware of the risks.
3) Wait until Cyber Monday. Many retailers, in fact 87 percent will have special online promotions on Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, according to an eHoliday survey for Shop.org.

For all the suggestions, click here.

Anyone putting on their game face for Black Friday? Have any parking lot horror stories or pet peeves you’d like to share?

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Oprah Winfrey may be off broadcast airwaves next year, but her next venture into cable makes Silver Spring-based Discovery Communications Inc. a big winner.

Winfrey’s announcement last week that she would be ending her talk show after 25 years next year rocked not only audiences but entertainment industry as a whole. As one of the biggest brands of our time, Winfrey’s incredible ability to zap through filters and make her audience and talk show guests feel as if they are best friends, is part of what’s created her unstoppable appeal over the years.

Starting in 2011, Oprah’s new media life will be running her “own” network in a joint venture with Discovery. The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) will debut next January to approximately 80 million homes on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. The venture also will the Web site, Oprah.com.

“There is no bigger brand in media than Oprah Winfrey,” David Zaslav, Discovery Communications president and CEO, said in a statement. “She has changed the broadcast landscape and how people consume television…Discovery Communications has a tremendous partner in Oprah, and we look forward to bringing her and her creative vision, programming and unique voice to…OWN.”

Yeah, I bet they do. Discovery has grown over the years from a documentary-based network to the creator of original programming and now operates 10 cable networks in the U.S. TLC and the Discovery Channel are the most watched, with Discovery ranking as the 14th most-watched cable network this year and TLC ranking 18th. Over the years Discovery has attempted to ramp up its Health Network programming and branding to appeal to a wider audience but it’s mostly medical-based shows only capture so much audience attention.

Re-branding the network as OWN could revolutionize that part of Discovery’s business. We don’t yet know if Winfrey plans on having a talk show on the network, but a statement from Harpo Productions seems to indicate that will be the case.

And if Discovery is the big winner here, surely the losers are local affiliates that air Winfrey’s syndicated talk show (in Baltimore that’s NBC affiliate, WBAL). Winfrey’s 4 p.m. show leads right in to local newscasts at 5 p.m. The effect may not be as great as the Leno Effect during primetime, but stations must be concerned.

What do you think of Winfrey’s move? Who is the biggest winner?

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The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. wants you to know that your money is safe.

Despite the 123 banks that have failed so far in 2009 (that’s as of Nov. 13), it’s the FDIC’s job to keep your deposits of up to $250,000 unharmed, even if the bank that houses that cash goes out of business.

According to Chairwoman Sheila C. Bair, “there’s no safer place in the world for their checking, savings or retirement money.” She says that the chances of bank failure are low. For example, there are more than 90 banks headquartered in Maryland, and only two have failed this year.

Six other Maryland banks — Colombo Bank, Waterfield Bank, Eastern Savings Bank, First Mariner Bank, K Bank and Bay National Bank — are under federal scrutiny, meaning that if they don’t shape up, they could close down.

Even if those banks do fail, the FDIC’s leader says that there’s really nothing to worry about. If you’ve got less than $250,000 in a federally-insured bank, you’ll be able to recoup all of it, making a bank failure “a non-event” to use Bair’s words.

Bair lays out why banks are safe in the fall 2009 edition of FDIC Consumer News:

• Federal deposit insurance is backed by “the full faith and credit of the United States government.” That means that the U.S. government protects federally insured depositors. “In short, we cannot run out of money,” Bair said.

• The FDIC can quickly borrow money from the U.S. Treasury in an emergency. But the FDIC expects to collect money from the banking industry to pay for its own problems, rather than using taxpayer dollars.

• Federal law also requires that all insured deposits be paid asap. If a bank fails, the FDIC always repays depositors up  to the legal limit. In most cases, customers can access their accounts on the next business day when the FDIC arranges for a healthy bank to assume the insured deposits.

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It’s hard to have thoughts of thanks (and giving) when you’re stuck in your cute little two-door, sandwiched between a minivan and a Suburban staring at traffic as far as the eye can see… Not that I’m being specific or anything.

But thanks to lower fuel prices this year, AAA Mid-Atlantic is predicting that 4.6 percent more Marylanders will hit the roads for the holiday this year compared with last year. (Although not me — the only road I’m hitting is the parking lot when we go out during halftime to toss the football around. I’ve learned my lesson, thank you.)

In total, approximately 794,000 Marylanders are expected to travel in one form or another for Thanksgiving. That’s up nearly 4 percent last year. Airlines also appear to be losing out to other transportation modes as just 6.5 percent of travelers (52,000) are expected to take to the skies — a 5.2 percent decline.

“It’s not surprising that Marylanders are foregoing the airport this year to reach their Thanksgiving destination,” said Regina Averella in a news release. “Given the hassles of airport security, reduced capacity, as well as added surcharges and fees, it seems Marylanders are seeking other modes of transportation that are less restrictive and perhaps more inexpensive.”

Speaking of which, anyone hear about the new Super Bowl surcharge this year? When will these guys stop?

At any rate, I’ve also noticed in my commute to work along I-95, the roads have already gotten more congested since Thursday. Seems as if the traffic madness is already upon us.

Are you going to brave the storm that’s alrady accumulating out there? So are you like me and hiding from traffic this year?

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