Packed parking lots and nearly-empty shelves thrill local
retailers
Gilroy – The colors of the season may be red and green, but local stores are in the black with just three shopping days left before Christmas. According to retail experts, holidays sales are expected to rise 6 percent this year – and nearly half of all consumers are waiting until this weekend to complete their Christmas shopping.
Store parking lots are a maze of cars with flashing blinkers. Last minute shoppers are frantic to find Xbox 360s and iPods. Digital cameras are being grabbed off the shelves, and gift cards loaded with cash. Registers are running out of ink for gift receipts and store managers couldn’t be happier.
“It’s like a weekend in here everyday,” said Best Buy manager Joe Fowler. “I think we’re forecasted to see more and more shoppers each day.”
According to the latest survey from the National Retail Foundation released Tuesday, 75 percent of retailers are experiencing a 20 percent growth over last year. And to continue with the upward trend, more than half of online retailers will offer last minute promotions and shipping upgrades.
Christmas Eve is expected to resemble the day after Thanksgiving – only customers won’t be grabbing for advertised sale items only – but anything they can find that they can tie a bow on.
“Retailers customarily see high sales the week before Christmas and are preparing themselves for even more foot traffic when even the worst procrastinators will be hitting the stores,” said Phil Rist, vice president of BIGresearch, a consumer market intelligence firm.
More than 25 Best Buy customers came out Saturday night in hopes of purchasing one of 26 coveted Xbox 360s. Lines at Old Navy were six deep Monday evening. Christmas music playing in the background at Wal-Mart Superstore was drowned out by the constant pinging of price scanners Tuesday.
“We ran out of all the sleep bottoms,” said Old Navy manager Jeremy Springer. “All we have left is what you see,” he said, pointing to a sparsely stocked table of holiday themed T-shirts and pants.
“I have no idea what it’s going to be like (on Christmas Eve),” he said.
Just driving to the Gilroy Crossing and Pacheco Pass shopping centers from Monterey Road was a traffic nightmare Monday afternoon. To drive to the entranceway of the shopping plaza from Monterey Road took 20 minutes.
Those looking for Christmas trees at Lowe’s were out of luck.
Having Wal-Mart Superstore as a new neighbor has proved plentiful for the hardware giant, said Lowe’s manager Joe Medley.
“It’s been a good year for us, it’s been a good holiday season for us,” he said grinning.
But Christmas shopping doesn’t have to be stressful – especially if you’re Gilroy resident Maxine Rucker. The first grade teacher just started her Christmas shopping Saturday.
She isn’t alone. Fifteen percent of consumers haven’t even started yet, survey results reveal.
Rucker decided to give mostly gift cards this year, she said as she clasped about a dozen small gift bags at Target Tuesday.
“When your kids are little there are certain things you have to buy that they’re expecting Santa will bring,” she explained. “When they’re older they don’t want what you buy anyway.”
Rucker spent the past week decorating Christmas wreaths with her students and is enjoying the holiday season.
“I don’t even feel real stressed,” she said.
Neither does John Wong of Watsonville – and he has 20 more gifts to grab.
Browsing the toy section at Wal-Mart Tuesday evening one would never guess he faces a Sunday deadline.
“I totally am waiting to last minute. I never learn,” he said. “I think it’s kind of like Darwinism – survival of the fittest.”
