Shoppers return to malls, looking for deals
Deal-hunting shoppers headed to America's malls Saturday, gift cards in hand, hoping to snag after-Christmas discounts that sometimes topped 75 percent. They were greeted with big markdowns - and some lines - but often found limited selection.
"Everything's been picked over," said Donna Brown, a 52-year-old hairdresser from Seaford, Del. who was looking at an almost empty table of fleece pajamas marked down 60 percent to $11.99.
Experts reported mixed crowds during the kickoff of the after-Christmas shopping period, which last year accounted for nearly 15 percent of holiday sales.
This year, though, some observers expect the week after Christmas to be even more important because snow storms socking the country before Christmas cut into sales.
"They have plenty of time to make up for that little bit of lost momentum," NPD Group analyst Marshal Cohen said. "This is going to be a good day for retailers."
