Longer operating hours, more coupons, larger discounts.
It?s a week until Christmas, and retailers are doing all they can to attract cautious consumers during what was predicted to be one of the slower holiday spending seasons in recent memory.
“Typically, in the last 10 days before Christmas, we?ll have a lot of different sales and promotions,” said Jessica Bloom, manager of White Marsh and Owings Mills malls. “We had a busy weekend, and we?ll have a busy week.”
Shoppers were out Monday searching for those last-minute sales, though Caron Gregory of Towson said White Marsh Mall didn?t seem as busy as usual as she looked for a mirror at Kirkland?s.
The consensus among projections had been sales would increase from last year, just not at the rate retailers might expect. Sales in November, with heavy discounting, proved to be better than expected with a 5.1 percent increase from last year, but analysts have said early December returns haven?t been as encouraging.
“It?s been a pretty steady diet of bad economic news almost all year,” said Tom Saquella, president of the Maryland Retailers Association. “A lot of people are buying more practical gifts and not spending as frivolously as they might have in past years.”
Online sales seemed to follow that trend, according to Virginia-based comScore, which measures online data. From Nov. 1 to Dec. 14, online sales totaled $22.7 billion, up 18 percent from $19.2 billion in 2006.
The 18 percent growth, though, was slower than last year?s 26 percent increase during the same period. Households that earn less than $50,000 increased their online spending by only 10 percent from last year, according to comScore.
On Friday night, holiday shoppers searched for savings during Federal Hill?s Moonlight Madness. The shops offered progressive discounts throughout the evening, cutting prices 12 percent from 11 p.m. to midnight.
“I?ve been here for three years, and it was the largest crowd I?ve ever seen,” said Kimberly Tyson, co-owner of My Flower Box on South Charles Street. “A lot of people showed up early and kept coming back to check the sales.”
Time is running out on the shopping season, but it seems retailers will wait for the consumers.
“There?s still a lot of hours to get your shopping done,” Bloom said.
SHOPPING TIPS
» Shop after 6 p.m. the day before a sale begins. Many retailers program the registers the night before, so the sale might come up on the register.
» Staple a gift receipt to the merchandise tag in case it needs to be returned or exchanged. Keep original receipts with any warranty paperwork for the life of the warranty.
» Let the charity group at the mall wrap gifts for you. This will save a lot of time and free time to do other things on holiday to-do lists.
Source: National Retail Federation
SEASONAL STRUGGLE
With the holiday shopping season in its final stretch, The Examiner looks at how retailers and consumers have fared in what was expected to be a slow season.
» Monday: Economy has influenced shoppers to pull back spending
» Today: Retailers making final push with discounts, sales, events
