As Holiday Nears, Cash Registers Sing, WSJ

With the Help of Promotions and Steep Discounts, Final Weekend Before Christmas Brings U.S. Consumers Out to Shop...Even though many retailers started the holiday season early, with big promotions and sales before Thanksgiving, some may have saved the best for last.

In the countdown to Christmas, packed malls and long checkout lines indicate that U.S. consumers have been willing to come out and spend, at least when retailers offered deep bargains."This past weekend was a great contributor, with steady traffic on both Saturday and Sunday," said Bill Martin, founder of ShopperTrak, which tracks mall traffic...It didn't hurt that many retailers were pulling out the big guns, with some, like Aéropostale Inc., sailing past the half-off mark for merchandise, while others, including Gap Inc. were offering 30% or more off virtually all merchandise in their stores.Even though many retailers started the holiday season early, with big promotions and sales before Thanksgiving, some may have saved the best for last.
By Karen Talley, Dec. 20, 10 WSJ

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