PR Newswire Broadcast Minute for Friday November 19, 2004

PR Newswire Broadcast Minute for Friday November 19, 2004 Americans Plan to Spend More and Shop Earlier This Holiday Season Retailers can expect to benefit from a slight boost in sales as shoppers hit the aisles this holiday season. According to a recent Maritz Poll, consumers plan on spending an average of 50 dollars more on gifts this season than in 2003. The survey forecasts that the average consumer will spend more than 820 dollars on gifts, up from last year's average of 775 dollars, but still less than 2001's estimated holiday spending of 845 dollars. Full story at: http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=2820032 Average Thanksgiving Meal Equals 3,000 Calories and 229 Grams of Fat Thanksgiving is a holiday full of tradition, indulgence and, unfortunately, extra pounds! The American Council on Exercise, America's non-profit fitness advocate, suggests a balance between limited caloric intake over several days and committing to a fitness regimen to stay healthy and trim through the holidays. Full story at: http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=2819468 Survey Shows That 81% of Women Will Attend a Holiday Party This Season -- High-Heeled Shoes Dominant as One of the Top Accessories It's not just party season but gift-giving season as well, smart shoppers can indulge in a little more of both. According to a study from Marshalls conducted by Harris Interactive, 81 percent of women plan on attending a holiday party this year, and 28 percent will dress up for more than one. Forty-nine percent say they plan on attending a snazzy party that requires a dressier outfit this year. What type of shoes are the most popular for holiday gatherings? The survey revealed that 50 percent of women will wear high-heeled shoes when dressing up for a holiday party. While 17 percent will wear flats and 12 percent will choose sling backs. Full story at: http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=2819373 Newlywed Nick Lachey to Host 'VH1 Big in '04' Whether "Lost" in the wild like a Fox or another Foxx playing a talent recently lost ... a "Desperate" blonde or brunette ... a media man or muckraker ... or just a one-of-a-kind precious Stone, "V-H-1 Big in '04" brings them all together for a night of celebrating the year that was. Pop culture phenomenon Nick Lachey will lead the broadcast as this years' host alongside presenters Donald Trump, P. Diddy, Jamie Foxx, Matthew Fox, Eva Longoria, Mandy Moore, Michael Moore and Joss Stone who join an already lengthy list of participants for the irreverent annual tribute that celebrates and skewers the biggest people, trends and moments of the year. The third annual special will be taped at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 1 and premiere on VH1 on Sunday, December 5th. Full story at: http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/main.jsp?resourceid=2819989 The PR Newswire Broadcast Minute is available by email at no charge to members of the media who sign up for PR Newswire for Journalists ( http://www.prnewswire.com/media ). For more information, contact Rob Fisher at 408-365-8793 or email rob.fisher@prnewswire.com . PRNewswire -- Nov. 19 Source: PR Newswire ------- Profile: International Entertainment