Mild weather, attractive discounts and a ticking clock contributed to a busy holiday shopping weekend, local malls and merchants said.
“Saturday was a really spectacular day. A lot of merchants commented, ‘This feels like the old days,’ ” said Nick LeMasters, general manager of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center.
Cherry Creek’s parking facilities almost maxed out between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, something that hadn’t happened in two years, he said.
At Southwest Plaza in Littleton, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office had to run traffic control to deal with the weekend crowds, said general manager Susan Sgrignoli.
“The mall opened and closed very strongly in terms of traffic,” she said.
Farther north, Heather Drake, senior marketing manager for FlatIron Crossing in Broomfield and the Twenty Ninth Street Mall in Boulder, said most retailers she talked to reported sales were running better than last year for the weekend.
“It was a good crazy,” she said. “The weather was nice, and that sets the mood for holiday shopping.”
The Denver Broncos game, however, kept many would-be shoppers parked in front of their television sets on Sunday afternoon.
Retailers launched big sales early this season and have maintained the discounts. They also have offered different kinds of promotions, such as $20 in savings for $200 in spending.
The website lists some of the deals still available.
“Shoppers are still shopping smart and looking for values,” Sgrignoli said.
Stores also have done a better job of managing inventory levels this year, resulting in shortages of some hot items and reducing the need to slash prices deeply in the three remaining shopping days before Christmas.
LeMasters said popular electronic items, such as flat-panel televisions, are running low at some locations, while seasonal clothing items are out of stock in certain sizes and colors.
At Brookstone, the FrogOSphere and remote- control helicopters are in short supply, said Dave Floyd, manager of the FlatIron Crossing store.
Floyd said he has noticed a trend this season of fewer overall shoppers but larger average purchases and more purchases made in cash.
“They are getting away from that credit,” he said.
The weekend before Christmas has become the busiest of the season for many retailers, although it doesn’t get the same attention as the weekend after Thanksgiving.
As of Wednesday, the typical shopper had completed 46.7 percent of his or her shopping, making for the highest “procrastination rate” since 2004, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation.
FlatIron Crossing will set up “Procrastination Stations” for Wednesday and Thursday to help last-minute shoppers with a list of discounts available and gift ideas.
Monday also appeared stronger than usual, retailers said, perhaps reflecting a slack economy that has allowed more shoppers to get the entire week off.
“The merchants are excited and relieved. They have momentum going into these last few days,” LeMasters said.
Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410 or asvaldi@denverpost.com
