Putting New Twists on Holiday Shopping Stories

By Jonathan Higuera
November 15, 2007 02:48 PM

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Making the holiday shopping story a compelling read takes some creative thinking for reporters. We are accustomed to putting new twists on old storylines but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Many have done and will do again the frantic shopper story. You know. The person who arrives at the store at 3 a.m. and lines up waiting for a chance to grab the latest hot toy or product.

Consumer trends in “e-tailing” and gift card purchases have provided much fodder for reporters to pick up bylines over the past decade. And certainly no credible news organization passes on “Black Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving shopping story.

But some retail reporters must wonder if there’s any original story ideas left to be done when it comes to the holiday shopping storyline.

I would suggest reporters and editors opt for fewer traditional stories and look for more quirky ones that reveal something deeper about the U.S. consumer psyche and the economy’s performance as it relates to the average mall shopper.

For example, The Wall Street Journal recently wrote about the phenomenon of certain hooded sweatshirts flying off the shelf in Hollywood. The reason: it had the name of a local homeless man emblazoned on it.

Here are some suggestions and areas to explore:

• Spend some time at stores and malls. The goal is to gauge the mood of shoppers.  It may not be scientific but gather enough responses to try and get a real feel on what shoppers are thinking. Oh yeah, try not to get kicked out by store security.

• Put local economy context into stories. How’s the job market? Are there quality jobs in your area? We know national analysts are predicting slower sales growth because of rising oil and food prices and the credit crunch brought on by poor mortgage lending habits. So tie that knowledge to something local. Are foreclosures up? Are new car sales booming?

• What do people like to spend their money on these days? Is it iPods and Zunes or Levis and other clothes? Is there an off-the-wall product that’s catching fire? And do consumers perceive they are paying more for less when it comes to gifts?

• Brainstorming. Kicking around ideas with fellow reporters and editors was always helpful for me. Try taking the obvious and turning it on its head. Instead of woe-is-me stories on embattled homeowners with bad loans, check on others who may have pocketbooks wide open.

• Be observant. As a reporter, I spent plenty of time in stores and malls trying to find the right person to interview. Those moments of just sitting back and observing were instructional as well. I found being a fly on the wall could be a good thing.

• Be more scientific. Take on the role of a researcher gathering data with a prepared set of questions. Maybe bring a few shoppers into your newsroom for a focused session.

However you choose to write these stories, I hope you will inform the reader of not only what consumers are buying but what they are thinking about as they buy.

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