Editor's Take: How Little Is Too Little?

So far, it seems to me that many retailers are stocking their shelves quite cautiously. On a recent Sunday afternoon, I snuck off to a local mall, looking for a birthday gift for my wife, Donna. As in the past, I was a stereotypically clueless and dumb husband. But I figured the wide array of stores at this mall would do the trick. Quite the contrary: I couldn't find much of anything.