A massive storm that dumped about a half-meter of snow from Virginia to Maine did more than frustrate motorists. It added to the woes of retailers that were already bracing for weak holiday sales as the United States struggles to emerge from the deepest and longest recession of the post-World War II era.
风暴给从维吉尼亚到缅因州的大片地区带来近半米厚的降雪。大雪不仅给驾车者带来烦恼，也令原本就在应付疲弱的节日销售的零售商们雪上加霜。这个假日销售季正值美国经济从二战后最严重、持续时间最长的危机中艰难复苏之际。
The storm's timing could hardly have been worse, blanketing the most-populous regions of the United States on the last weekend before Christmas, when millions of Americans are preparing to exchange gifts.
这场暴风雪来得极不是时候。它在圣诞节前最后一个周末席卷了美国人口最为密集的地区。而这也正是数百万美国人准备互赠礼物的日子。
"To have the biggest [shopping] weekend of the year wiped out in almost half the country by wicked winter weather and record blizzards is really going to hurt sales and operating profits, and it is really going to hurt government revenue," says retail analyst Burt Flickinger of the Strategic Resource Group.
零售业咨询公司战略资源集团(Strategic Resource Group)的零售分析师伯特·弗利金格说：“一年中最大的购物周末因为近半个国家遭遇恶劣冬季天气和创记录的暴风雪而彻底毁掉。这的确会损及销售和营业利润。这也确实会对政府税收造成伤害。”
Even before the storm, the National Retail Federation was predicting a one percent drop in U.S. holiday sales compared to last year. Although an economic recovery is believed to be underway, U.S. unemployment remains stubbornly high and consumers appear more focused on saving and debt reduction than spending.
即便在暴风雪之前，美国全国零售联盟就曾预测今年节日销售额会比去年同期下降一个百分点。尽管经济已经开始复苏，但美国的失业率仍旧居高不下，消费者看样子更注重储蓄和减轻债务，而不是花钱。
Again, retail analyst Burt Flickinger, speaking on Bloomberg Television.
弗利金格在接受彭博电视采访时说：
"People are more cash and credit-constrained than at any other time in U.S. history," he noted. "So they are only buying for children and immediate family members. Just for need, not for want."
“眼下人们在现金和信贷方面的状况比美国历史上任何时候都要紧张。所以他们只给自己的子女和直系家庭成员购物。也就是只买必要的，而不是想要的。”
To combat sales losses, many retailers are extending store hours in the few remaining days before Christmas. While traditional stores clearly lost revenue in recent days, other businesses may actually profit from inclement weather.
为了应付销售损失，许多零售商都在圣诞节前所剩无几的日子里延长了营业时间。传统商店这几天的收入显然受损，但是其他商家却可以趁恶劣天气获利。
Many online retailers saw a jump in orders, as shoppers unable to leave their homes turned to their computers to make purchases. And grocery stores and supermarkets also saw a jump in business ahead of the storm, as people scrambled to buy food and supplies.
因为无法出门，购物者转而打开电脑购物，这令许多网上零售商的订单见涨。此外，抢在暴风雪来临前夕购买食物和日用品的人们也带旺了食品店和超市的生意。
"The grocery stores had a surge in business," Flickinger said. "They were up 100 percent [in sales] per day for two days in a row before the storm."
零售分析师弗林金格说：“食品店生意激增。在暴风雪之前，它们的日营业额连续两天成倍增长。”
Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.
美国消费支出占据整体经济活动的三分之二。 |