With North County employers having cut several hundred jobs since the beginning of the year, the commercial trappings of romance may be in for a downsizing of their own, according to our media partner the North County Times.
Research firm IBISWorld Inc. predicts Americans will spend about $29 billion on Valentine's Day this year, about 5 percent less than in 2008, the paper reported.
A survey commissioned by the National Retail Federation last month found that the average American expects to spend $103. That represents a decline of about 17 percent from last year, with men and 20-somethings ---- normally the biggest spenders ---- planning to cut spending more sharply, the North County Times reported.
For the full story read the paper's article "Valentine's Customers Shopping Frugally Amid Recession."
