• MSNBC, Wednesday, November 4, 2009 12:30 PM

Allison Linn rounds up a group of retail analysts who, by and large, believe that retailers just don't get what's going on with American consumers and the dramatic -- perhaps permanent -- shift in how and what they buy. "Retailers still don't have a full grasp of reality," says Burt P. Flickinger III, managing director of Strategic Resource Group.

Shoppers haven't been this scared around holiday-shopping time in 50 years, Flickinger III says. Instead of giving shoppers what they want and need at a good price, retailers seem to be offering huge discounts on items they want to get rid of instead, according to many analysts. The result is that that shoppers deduce that many products are just worth less, says brand analyst Robert Passikoff (who also has a good piece on fan loyalty in this morning's "Engage:Sports").

On top of that, retailers and product manufacturers are boring customers to death, says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with NPD Group, and seem unable or unwilling to risk bringing daring new products to the marketplace.

Bright spots? Sure. Apple, as always, but also CVS' reward cards. And it also looks like shoppers plan to spend more on clothing and accessories in the coming year, according to Passikoff's data.

Read the whole story at MSNBC »