The smartest financial brains and highest paid economists are now trying to pick exactly where our economy is going this year. Certainly last year’s slowdown was not as bad as many doom-sayers were predicting with mainly only the big ticket sales items being worst effected.

Many retailers even recorded an increase. But 2009 is here with a thump and the concensus of opinion is all previous bets are off as so much has changed in just a few months.