Only Two More Shopping Days Until Christmas

by nicole ~ December 22, 2008

Or 48 Hours if you’re planning to shop Toys R Us in Times Square, which will be continuously open from now until 8 PM on Christmas Eve.  According to this Wall Street Journal article, more retailers are offering “extreme” hours to attract as many consumers as possible during these rough economic times.  The article states:

“In the final countdown of one of the worst holiday retail seasons in decades, more retailers have extended hours and are staying open for 24-hour periods or more in a last-ditch effort to capture sales. Macy’s Inc., L.L. Bean International, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Hennes & Mauritz AB’s H&M chain added extreme hours at select locations this year, they said, as a way to enhance customer service, reduce congestion and compete for last-minute sales.”

I always felt that part of the allure of late-night shopping is the novelty of it. Perhaps not so much in New York City, but I’ve been to the L.L. Bean store in Maine at midnight, not because it was a necessary trip, but just because I could. Of course now these late night hours come as a necessity to retailers in the lat shopping hours before Christmas.  The article goes on to say:

“Snowstorms across the country during the last shopping weekend before Christmas are expected to make the already-dismal retail season even worse, some retailers said. Numbers weren’t available Sunday, but ShopperTrak RCT Corp. said that the final weekend before Christmas typically accounts for 11.5% of holiday sales. Last year, Super Saturday brought in $8.7 billion in retail sales. Retail sales for the six weeks to Dec. 13 are down 2% from a year earlier.”

There is no doubt retailers are trying extra hard this year.  As I was typing this entry an e-mail popped up from Apple reminding me that their stores are open late so I can “find something for everyone on my list.”  I would hardly be surprised if I get another one of these emails tomorrow and probably another on Christmas Eve.  This may be a dismal shopping season, but it’ll be interesting to see what that means for the after Christmas sales.  Until then — have a happy and safe holiday!