Stores Hope You Say Merry Christmas To Me

'Oh, I shouldn't have': Retailers make pitch for self-gifting

Last year Hyundai entertained — or annoyed — television viewers with advertisements featuring carol-singing hipsters. This year, the automaker is taking a different tack in early radio ads, urging listeners to "give yourself a gift" of a new Hyundai this holiday season.

Retailers, struggling with sluggish consumer spending are pulling out all the stops to get shoppers, including pushing gift-buying for your best friend –- yourself.

Apparel retailer J Crew debuted a campaign with the tag line "To: You — From: You." Shoppers can barely escape the "buy it for yourself" message on the website of online footwear megastore Zappos.com: Nearly every holiday-themed landing page includes text urging browsers to pick up a pair of boots or something else for themselves. Even Starbucks ran a "One for you, one for me" holiday promotion.

"I think they're trying to hit core customers any way they can hit them," says Sam Poser, managing director at brokerage Sterne Agee.

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