"Holiday shoppers fill the Antelope Valley Mall on Tuesday. Stores remain open until 6 p.m. today for last-minute holiday shoppers hoping to snag a deal at the mall." MOLLY HAUXWELL/Valley Press
Posted on 12/24/2008 10:16:12 AM PST by BenLurkin
PALMDALE - Heading into Christmas Eve, sales at some mall shops and kiosks dipped slightly compared to last year, but that's not true of all local businesses, many of which are ringing up sales in the crucial hours before the holiday, according to Tricia Granger, director of marketing at the Antelope Valley Mall. Stores remain open until 6 p.m. today for last-minute holiday shoppers hoping to snag a deal at the mall.
Shopping will persist through the day with Lancaster and Palmdale officials endorsing a "Shop Local" drive in order to keep sales tax revenues closer to home for such things as public safety budgets.
"We don't have the numbers," Granger said. "We check in with our stores. Some are doing better than last year. Some are not doing as well. Some are staying flat. It's across the board.
"Apparel seems to be coming up. And gift stores had a lot of traffic. The weekend was great. There were a lot of people here, shopping, a lot of people carrying bags.
"Things Remembered was very busy on Sunday with people getting personalized gifts," Granger said of the specialty gift shop.
Wednesday's snowstorm put a dent in business for a couple of days, Granger noted.
"Obviously, last week the snow affected everybody."
Holiday shopping trends in the Valley reflect nationwide consumer attitudes about retail sales this holiday season.
Results of a Gallup Poll released Nov. 19 focused on spending practices at department stores. Respondents to that survey said that by mid-November 2007 they had spent an average of $866. This year by that same time, they had limited their spending to $616.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
"Holiday shoppers fill the Antelope Valley Mall on Tuesday. Stores remain open until 6 p.m. today for last-minute holiday shoppers hoping to snag a deal at the mall." MOLLY HAUXWELL/Valley Press
I’m having touble seeing any signs of a recession or slowdown in Houston. One mile backups at many of the malls to just get into the parking lot.
What recession?
” What recession? “
That is exactly the same thing I am seeing in Houston, The Woodlands, Dallas, Beaumont ...
Malls are FULL of people and they are all carrying sacks of stuff they have bought.
Try and get in a restaraunt ... have to wait 45 minutes to an hour or longer, they’re all full of people spending money.
Maybe it’s just the oil patch business that supports this region longer or something.
Is it the same elsewhere ?
in Houston
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Houston was swimming in oil cash up until just 2 months ago with no housing issues... you are the exception for now ,,, but $25/bbl oil will be affecting you very soon.
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