by KYW's Lynne Adkins
Nearly eight million taxpayers will begin receiving their economic stimulus checks next week, a few days earlier than expected. And some major retailers are offering special incentives to tempt us to spend.
Those incentives can include price discounts on items you buy with your rebate check, or you can trade in your check at some stores for a gift card of higher value.
Dr. Shawkat Hammoudeh (right), professor of economics at Drexel University, says the premiums could lure more customers into stores:
"I think retail sales have been going down, and I think retailers need consumers to spend more, so they came up with this innovative idea to give incentives to spend more -- and I think it's a good idea."
He expects that most consumers will be spend the checks on items they need -- like fuel for their cars -- and not as much on things they want but can live without, such as TVs or golf clubs:
"I think people will spend on food, medicine is another, but may not include clothes. It may not include refrigerators or other durable goods."
Checks range from $300 to more than a thousand. The US Treasury is hoping the rebates will pump billions of dollars into the economy by the end of May.
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