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ABOUT THIS BLOG

It's a make-it or break it time for retailers. The holiday selling season is always a critical time for retailers, but this year this may be even more true. With several retailers already falling victim to a drop in consumer spending, and filing for bankruptcy, retailers will be navigating through some tricky waters. Consumers are strapped for cash due to high energy and food prices, and unemployment is rising. The recent credit crunch has made it more challenging for retailers and consumers to borrow.

This blog will look at the winners and losers in the retail space. Who has the right strategy to capture consumer dollars? It also will look for trends in consumer spending and how that will impact the economy.

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Oct.09

1:18 PM ET

Thursday, 9 Oct 2008

Fantasy Gift: Immortalized in Lego

Posted By:Cindy Perman

Topics:Consumers

Sectors:Retail

With all the doom and gloom in the market, Neiman Marcus has swept in on its gold-and-diamond-encrusted sleigh just in time with some extravagant holiday-gift ideas to help you take your mind off of that blinking red light that is your retirement account.

Life Size Lego Sculptures
Neiman Marcus
A sample of the life-sized Lego sculptures
For that power couple who has everything, might we suggest life-size replicas made out of Lego bricks? The sculptures are custom-made by New York artist and Legomaniac Nathan Sawaya (www.brickartist.com), who has built everything out of Legos from a full-size Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton to a 7-foot scale replica of the Brooklyn Bridge. Prices start at $60,000 per sculpture.

"These gifts offer people a great fantasy," says Ginger Reeder, a spokeswoman for Neiman Marcus. "We’ve all got to keep our chin up. We all need a smile."

A quarter of a million dollars will buy that ultimate beer lover in your life an authentic Guinness pub – for the home. This holy grail of brew includes handcrafted Guinness artifacts, a keg-dispensing unit, a one-year supply of Guinness, a VIP trip for two to Dublin with luxury airfare, accommodations and back-pub access to the historic St. James Brewery. Please gift responsibly.

And, for one million dollars, Jack Nicklaus will study the topography and aerial photos of your backyard and make you a customized golf course. When construction is complete, the Golden Bear himself will come by to play the first round with you.

Of course, the question everyone wants to know is: Does anyone really buy this stuff?