Retailers in Maryland are pacing well ahead of their national counterparts this holiday shopping season simply because the economy is better here.
“Maryland?s economy is doing better because we never had a recession,” said Richard Clinch, an economist at the University of Baltimore.
With its close proximity to Washington, where defense spending is at an all-time high, and the large number of defense-related industries in the state, Marylanders have more money to spend, he said.
“I would expect retail sales not to be record-setting,” Clinch said, “because there is too much uncertainty.”
Tom Saquella, president of the Maryland Retailers Association, predicts holiday shopping sales figures should be about $4.5 million above last year?s mark of $9 billion, or about a 5 percent gain over Christmas 2005. Seasonal retail numbers for the state will be released in January, he said.
Asa Williams, marketing manager of The Mall in Columbia, said shoppers are responding well to extended hours and holiday specials offered by mall merchants.
“Basically, we are trending really strong this year,” Williams said. “It really kicked off on Black Friday weekend [after Thanksgiving], and we?ve been seeing healthy traffic since. We are giving shoppers what they want, when they want it.”
The Mall?s owner, General Growth Properties, surveyed shoppers and found they wanted extended holiday hours, she said. GGP also owns Harborplace and The Gallery in Baltimore, the Laurel Mall, Mondawmin Mall, Owings Mills Mall, The Village of Cross Keys, Towson Town Center and White Marsh Mall.
“We have a strong focus on what shoppers are demanding, and we are providing them with that convenience,” Williams said.
Major retailers Boscov?s and Macy?s did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
Maryland shoppers are following national trends in what they are buying ? outerwear, ready-to-wear items including sweaters and jeans, and electronics, Williams said.
