CHARLESTON, S.C. - C. Britt Beemer, CEO and Founder of America's Research Group (ARG), issued his 2008 "Winners and Losers" list of retailers this week with Wal-Mart securely in first place, but a number of well-knowns at the bottom of the list, following the sixth and final America's Research Group/UBS Christmas 2008 Survey. The "Winners and Losers" are determined by how well they did in retaining Christmas customers from last year.

"Wal-Mart continued to dominate shopping this year while other Star Performers from last year, Costco, JCPenney and Barnes & Noble, fell short," Beemer said. "According to these data, a number of major names, such as Macy's, are in trouble over the long run and we will undoubtedly see more retail bankruptcies in the New Year," he added.

All in all, it was a lackluster weekend with only 38.7 percent of shoppers out just before Christmas, the lowest number in the six years since the question was asked in ARG Christmas surveys. Again this weekend, Wal-Mart led stores shopped, attracting over two thirds of consumers:

• Wal-Mart - 69.0 percent (33.0 percent in 2007)
• Target - 21.0 percent (16.8 percent in 2007)
• Sears - 17.1 percent (20.4 percent in 2007)
• JCPenney - 15.1 percent (20.7 percent in 2007)
• Best Buy - 14.2 percent (12.9 percent in 2007)
• Toys R Us - 13.4 percent (12.6 percent in 2007)

There's very little joy left for retailers this season.

Gift cards as a category are down to 51.5 percent, the lowest level since 2005. Only 11.8 percent of parents, compared with 26.3 percent in 2007, said that they bought gift cards for their children this Christmas as there was no "must have" gift.

The top gifts this Christmas were:

• Toys - 34.7 percent (36.1 percent in 2007)
• Electronics - 26.8 percent (23.9 percent in 2007)
• Children's Clothes - 26.7 percent (15.9 percent in 2007)
• Video Games - 18.1 percent (15.3 percent in 2007)
• Gift Cards - 12.0 percent (23.8 percent in 2007)

The top gifts at Wal-Mart this year were:

• Toys - 44.3 percent (45.8 percent in 2007)
• Children's Clothes - 26.5 percent (14.2 percent in 2007)
• Video Games - 22.5 percent (16.2 percent in 2007)
• Electronics - 19.5 percent (18.0 percent in 2007)
• DVDs - 15.8 percent (15.9 percent in 2007)

ARG/UBS Winners and Losers 2008:

STAR PERFORMERS – keeping 90 percent or more of their Christmas shoppers coming back this season:

Wal-Mart - 91.2 percent

STRONG PERFORMANCE - keeping 80 percent to 89 percent of their Christmas shoppers:

Books A Million - 80.0 percent

ABOVE AVERAGE TO GOOD - keeping 70 percent to 79 percent of their Christmas shoppers:

• Target - 79.1 percent
• JCPenney - 79.0 percent
• Old Navy - 78.9 percent
• Best Buy - 78.3 percent
• Big Lots - 78.0 percent
• The Gap - 75.4 percent
• TJ Maxx - 74.8 percent
• Home Depot - 74.6 percent
• Kmart - 73.2 percent
• Borders - 73.0 percent
• Kohl's - 72.2 percent
• Sears - 71.0 percent
• Toys R Us - 70.8 percent
• Barnes & Noble - 70.8 percent
• Circuit City - 70.7 percent

RETAILERS IN TROUBLE - keeping 69 percent and below of their Christmas shoppers:

• CVS - 69.8 percent
• Costco - 68.1 percent
• American Eagle - 67.3 percent
• Lowe's - 66.7 percent
• Macy's - 65.4 percent
• Sam's Club - 65.1 percent
• Belk - 64.2 percent
• Walgreens - 61.0 percent
• Dillard - 55.4 percent
• Sports Authority - 51.8 percent

The America's Research Group/UBS 2008 Christmas Survey consisted of 1,000 telephone interviews conducted Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20 and 21 at ARG headquarters in Charleston, SC. The error factor is plus or minus 3.8 percent. UBS has teamed with ARG for six surveys this Christmas season.