Holiday Sales

The front-page story (Dec. 27) on this Christmas’ disappointing retail sales and the postpartum analysis by economists was quite amusing. I had no idea that my rejection of inflated price tags was due to “stock market fluctuation and the turmoil in Asia.” The repeated illustrations of “bargain-hungry consumers” would seem to indicate that I do not stand alone in my refusal to feed the greed of today’s retailers.

This Christmas shopping season, during my search for quality plus value, I found myself engulfed in a “Made in China” ocean. From $5 wallets to $200 walking shoes, it became almost impossible to get away from that three-word phrase, which now translates into “made cheaply but sold at U.S.-made rates.” So I took that money and headed toward more unique venues, such as holiday street festivals, where I could find items made by local artists and artisans. And that’s where I left my $300.

MAYRA CONFORTI

Los Angeles