Retailers get nervous

Holiday shoppers weren't buying much during the first week of December - sales fell 18 percent from the prior-week period, which included Black Friday. That was an even worse showing than in 2008, when sales fell 14 percent. Retailers will see what happens this weekend, which some consider make or break for the entire season. If things remain sluggish, you can expect plenty of big markdowns next week, which is precisely what retailers didn't want to do. (WSJ)