HOLIDAY SPENDING

A access of air-conditioned temperatures during the weekend helped put Arctic Texas shoppers in the anniversary spirit.

In Dallas, above malls were active Saturday and Sunday. But the bigger crowds didn't appearance up till about 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. both days, said Angie Freed, backer for Galleria Dallas.

"Today, I see 95 percent of the humans actuality with accoutrements in their hands. It wasn't like that beforehand in the season," Ms. Freed said Sunday.

weekend's shoppers were about on a mission: It was the endure weekend afore Christmas, which is Thursday, and the alpha of Hanukkah endure night.

At NorthPark Center in Dallas, cars departure Central Expressway Sunday afternoon formed a long, ample line. Shoppers anchored on the grass in the mall's lot Saturday, and others anchored offsite and walked.

"Even aide parking was abounding at NorthPark," said Holly Puig of Dallas.

Department food and capital retailers everywhere had expectations that the weekend would admeasurement up to Black Friday, the day afterwards Thanksgiving. But on average, the numbers of shoppers weren't as high, said Cheryl Bridges, administrator of the Center for Retailing Studies at Texas A&M University. "It just wasn't the mob arena of Black Friday."

Since Thanksgiving, shoppers accept been advised to aberrant discounts.

"The discounting became the barometer this division and may not drive the aforementioned traffic" in the final days, Ms. Bridges said.

Shoppers said they anticipation food were accomplishing a bigger job of demography affliction of customers.

"I anticipate it's added about chump account this year. It's authoritative me a little added loyal," said Jasmine Rogers of Dallas. "You don't wish to see your admired abundance go out of business."

Sunday at Cost Plus World Market on Alpha Road, Ms. Rogers bought sets of mugs that were apparent down. "I wouldn't accept bought them if they weren't on sale," she said.

In contempo years, the Saturday afore Christmas has been the second-busiest day for the U.S. retail industry, abaft the day afterwards Thanksgiving, according to ShopperTrak. In anniversary of the endure two years, that final Saturday drew $8.7 billion in accepted commodity sales, 4.4 percent of the two-month season.

On Friday, Toys R Us said the final amplitude to Christmas would aftermath assorted canicule of $100 actor in sales for the chain. Toys R Us generates added than 40 percent of sales and the aggregate of its anniversary profits in the fourth quarter.

This year, the Friday and Saturday afterwards Christmas are aswell anticipation to be a part of the season's arch days.

Scott Milford of Addison said he affairs to boutique then. "I've been afraid at low prices on aggregation jerseys and customer electronics this year," he said afterwards arcade at the Wal-Mart Supercenter arctic of Belt Band Road. "I alone sometimes boutique after-Christmas sales, but this year I will."

Not all parking lots were abounding during the weekend. Valley View Center, abreast the Galleria, absent two ballast stores, Dillard's this ages and Macy's endure spring.

The accession of algid acclimate Saturday afternoon attenuated the ranks of shoppers at big alfresco arcade centers, including Southlake Town Square and Garland's Firewheel Town Center.

In Plano at the Shops at Willow Bend on Saturday, the mall's parking lot "was abutting to accommodation throughout the afternoon and aboriginal evening, but sales were trending collapsed to hardly down for the day on average," said Karen MacDonald, a backer for Taubman Centers Inc., which owns 24 U.S. arcade centers including Willow Bend.

On Tuesday, the International Council of Arcade Centers will address sales after-effects for endure week.

Christmas Sales