There's no surprise in today's NY Times report that parents--and especially mothers--are sacrificing personal expenses to afford toys for their children this recessionary holiday.
"Come Christmas, McKenna Hunt, a gregarious little girl from Safety Harbor, Fla., will receive the play kitchen and the Elmo doll she wants. But her mother, Kristen Hunt, will go without the designer jeans she covets this season.
For Ms. Hunt and for millions of mothers across the nation, this holiday season is turning into a time of sacrifice. Weathering the first severe economic downturn of their adult lives, these women are discovering that a practice they once indulged without thinking about it, shopping a bit for themselves at the holidays, has to give way to their children’s wish lists.
“I want her to be able to look back,” Ms. Hunt declared, “and say, ‘Even though they were tough times, my mom was still able to give me stuff.’ ”
But there is a bit of a double-take in the news that some families will sacrifice even kids' gifts to insure a merry holiday for the household pet.
Emilie Wilson's menagerie includes 15 ferrets, two dogs and four cats, including a hefty gray feline named Tonie Stewart who rides in style inside a pet stroller during family outings.
Wilson spent $300 on Christmas gifts for her brood last year and figures she'll exceed that sum this year. And despite the recessionlike economy, the Chicago woman has no plans to scale back pet presents anytime soon.
"I couldn't care less if there's anything under the tree for us, as long as there's something for Tonie," she said....
Market researcher Euromonitor International, which tracks sales of pet food and accessories but excludes the cost of animals, grooming, training and certain other expenses, puts this year's animal expenditures at $23.9 billion.
But the group forecasts the segment's sales are still on pace to grow more than 13 percent by 2013.
Look for Mattel (MAT: NYSE) to be offering "Barbi" chew toys soon.
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