It’s that magical time of the year when brand preferences are being lodged in the consumer psyche by any means necessary, be it free online shipping offers or conventional “doorbuster” style shopper stampedes. (Plus, in an admirable show of advance conditioning, there are those sidebar Four Loko-fueled parking lot brawls.) READ MORE

Signs of the Recession:

The Mercedes-Benz showroom sent out a letter this week to customers advertising a "private, 3-day only offering of in-stock automobiles" on April 23 through 25th. Why the sudden fire sale? "To be perfectly frank, we are out of space," claims the letter. They are offering a $10,000 dollar discount on the S, CL and SL-classes of the 600 cars currently crowding both of their Manhattan showrooms. And 1.9% financing. And a free two-year maintenance plan. Also, just for coming in, they'll give you a $25 "gift card," usable for service or accessories. Rough times!