Cavuto's Theory on Christmas Sales

I have a theory on Christmas sales.

I think they'd easily double the five percent gain experts are looking for, maybe even triple, if it weren't for one thing.

Long lines. Very long lines. Lines so long I've seen people just up-and-go. Carts abandoned. Arms-full of clothes dropped.

Just yesterday, I saw one dude throw his stuff on the floor. Stuff that included a laptop, an iPod, and what looked like a pretty nice pair of headphones. By my crude math, he left a few thousand bucks on the carpet.

Literally.

Now multiply that times thousands, tens of thousands, maybe millions of shoppers doing the same thing.

Coats that are never bought. Suits that are never rung up. Perfume never purchased. And all because frustrated customers said, the hell with it, I'm outta here.

I've done it myself. If a line is long, I'm not long for that store.

I guess that explains why the Internet is so popular. But there are risks there too, like an available item for Christmas suddenly looking un-available.

But no matter.

Stores are losing business because they're losing customers. Who won't wait, who won't bother. Who won't stay.

It's amazing holiday sales are as strong as they are.

So message to retailers — it's not necessarily sales we're looking for.

It's a cashier.

Watch Neil Cavuto weekdays at 4 p.m. ET on "Your World with Cavuto" and send your comments to cavuto@foxnews.com