Augusta, MO transforms itself into a Holiday fantasyland. Multi-colored lights from homes twinkle in the darkness along Highway 94 beckoning the way for visitors.

Flickering luminaries line the streets and music of strolling Christmas carolers fills the night air. The many antique, specialty and craft shops in Augusta keep their doors open until 10 p.m. so visitors can

browse and purchase. Most offer cheese, wine, sausage and homemade cookies so one does not have to shop on an empty stomach.

The Ebenezer United Christian Church displays the tallest Christmas tree in town, a Nativity scene and inside, a choir singing holiday hymns.

Augusta Station, a model railroad museum, features displays of miniature trains including one traveling through an elaborate Christmas Village, complete with ski hills, skiers, and ice skaters on life-like ponds. Another replicates a train weaving through hills, tunnels and fields on its way from the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains.

The center of activity is the town square where visitors can crowd around a roaring bonfire and dine on brats, beer and roasted chestnuts. Of course, there's also marshmallows for roasting, a visit from Santa and more Holiday music.

Augusta Winery, Augusta Brewery and Montelle Winery will also offer refreshments and music.

With all the activities available, why let it end? Meet and enjoy other visitors by spending the night in one of Augusta's ten bed and breakfasts.

With the recent drop in gas prices, should online retailers expect a cheery holiday sales forecast? According to the National Federation of Retailers (NRF) one-fifth of all retail sales in the United States occur during the holiday season. With the critical holiday shopping season upon us, many companies are gearing up for a busy and eventful holiday season.

Although they expect holiday sales to be "subdued" this holiday season, the NRF still expects a gain of 5 percent to $457.4 billion, which is short of last years 6.1 percent increase. But, online holiday sales will continue their fast-paced trend, with sales expected to reach 27 billion (Forrester Research, Inc.), which would represent a 23 percent increase over last year.

Another holiday season forecast by eMarketer, predicts that during November and December, online retailers will have sales figures of 24.3 billion; which is a 22.1 percent increase over last year.

However, Jupiter Research, Inc., paints an even rosier sales forecast calling for 2006 online sales to be 32 billion, which would be an increase of 18 percent over last year. Additionally, Jupiter reports a record 114 million users will shop online in 2006.

In an October survey cosponsored by Shop.org, an e-commerce arm of the NRF, and Shopzilla, which is a comparison-shopping site, it was reported that 72 percent of the online retailers expected good (15%-plus) year-over-year online sales growth this holiday season. Twenty-one percent of the retailers forecast hyper growth (75%-plus) year-over-year online sales growth.

But with all these facts, figures and forecasts, what will holiday shoppers be looking for this year? According to NRF research, gift cards continue to be big sellers and this year many stores are capitalizing on this trend by offering cards geared toward the individual's lifestyle, adding that some cards are even personalized by including photographs or a particular theme.

More "hot" gifts included in the NRF research included women's clothing, specifically, plaid and hand-knit crocheted looks in women's categories, sweater dresses, short jackets and boots. Additionally, look for diet products, gift certificates to spas or gyms, cell phones and cell phone accessories, ipods, computer gaming products and computer gifts to be very popular on the wish list for young adults and teens.

Of course, we have all heard of the new Tickle Me Elmo 10th Anniversary Edition dolls that are any child's list from age seven and under. But is the demand for this toy going to dwindle the supply down to nothing? Probably. But, Fisher-Price insists there is going to be a steady flow of product going out to the retailers. Retailers have taken steps to assure they don't run out of a product by limiting the number of an individual product that a customer can buy when that product is in short supply, with the idea being that there should be enough for everyone. But could Tickle Me Elmo winds up on ebay selling at outrageous prices because of shortages? It already has.

A Trade publication, Toy Wishes, projects the following toys to be among the top sellers this holiday season: Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses (Mattel Inc.), Bratz Forever Diamondz (MGA Entertainment), Butterscotch My Furreal Friends Pony (Hasbro Inc.), Digi Makeover (Radica Games Ltd.), Fly Wheels XPV (Jakks-Pacific Inc.), Kids Tough Digital Camera (Mattel's Fisher-Price), Lego Mindstorms NXT (Lego Systems Inc.), Magtastik (Hasbro Inc.), Speed Stacks Stackpack (Play Along Toys, a division of Jakks Pacific Inc.), T.M.X. Elmo (Mattel's Fisher-Price), WII (Nintendo).

Another "must have" gift for the holiday season is Sony's, high-tech video-game console PlayStation 3 that will probably be almost impossible to get, with just 400,000 units expected to be shipped at launch. Although Sony does not want consumers to have to resort to paying exorbitant prices to acquire this highly sought after product, the reality is that it will probably come down to that in the end for some consumers. It is the law of supply and demand.

We have reviewed some forecasts and data for the 2006 holiday shopping season. Retailers, whether online or brick-and-mortar, realize that the holiday shopping season is a critical portion of their bottom line. It is up to them to provide the goods and services that their customers are requesting and clamoring for. It is the law of supply and demand.