Out of the multitude of holiday shopping surveys flying to my inbox today, here a few themes:

  • With three shopping days left, 1 in 5 Americans haven't started shopping. (Consumer Reports)
  • A quarter are waiting until January to shop. (CouponCodes4U)

And then there are dueling themes on who will win the game of chicken retailers and consumers play over discounts.

Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst for market research firm NPD Group said retailers' inventories are in much better shape. They'll toe the line.

Still, as the days march by, retailers will promote 50 percent off and some may sneak in their post Christmas deals a bit early, Cohen predicts.