Many Kentucky retailers says they'll consider the upcomining holiday shopping season a success if they can just do as well as they did last year.Jan Gould of the Kentucky Retail Federation predicts the commonwealth's merchants will fare better than much of the nation."We haven’t seen the same kinds of economic problems, at least the same extent as they have in other parts of the country, so we’re optimistic that we will do at least as well as the national average and hopefully a little better," Gould said.Gould says Kentuckians are altering their buying habits, purchasing one big-ticket gift or several lower-cost presents.In response, he says retailers are promoting themselves hard. For the first time in years, many are again offering lay-away plans.Thanks to Charles Compton, Kentucky Public Radio/WEKU, Richmond
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.