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Mall Expects 'A Lot' of Shoppers ; Holiday Season Kicks Off Today

Posted on: Friday, 25 November 2005, 18:00 CST

By Journal Staff Writer BY RORY MCCLANNAHAN

Call it the calm before the storm. Except for the Christmas decorations, holiday music and Santa Claus, Wednesday afternoon looked like any other day at the state's largest mall. Random shoppers came and went. The food court at lunch bragged no long lines, and virtually no one was waiting to get a Cinnabon.

That will change come this morning as thousands of bargain hunters will flock to the mall to kick off the holiday shopping season.

"We expect a lot of people to come out," said Candis Montgomery, director of marketing for Cottonwood. "There's been

a steady increase of visitors leading up to Thanksgiving, and we expect more people through the holidays." Montgomery admits to being deliberately vague -- the mall does not release the number of people going through its doors.

You would be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't believe there will be a lot of people in the mall and other stores today. Marina Taylor of Rio Rancho was cruising the mall Wednesday with her infant daughter, doing a little early shopping. Taylor said she doesn't care much for the eager crowds that shop the day after Thanksgiving but has resigned herself to being in that crowd. "I'll still be out early," Taylor said. "Sometimes you have to bite the bullet if you want a good deal."

She wouldn't reveal what holiday gifts she was buying.

Taylor won't be the only one heading out this weekend to shop.

According to the National Retail Federation, a retail trade association, about 130 million consumers will be hitting the stores this weekend. The federation is predicting an overall increase in holiday shopping this year, estimating that Americans will spend more than $453 billion, a 6 percent increase over last year.

"Recent consumer spending has surpassed our expectation, and we expect this momentum to continue through the holiday season," said Tracy Mullin, president and CEO of the federation, in a news release.

At Cottonwood, Montgomery said the mall will be expecting more shoppers and will be taking steps to ensure that the season is fun and safe.

The mall has increased security and its housekeeping crew, Montgomery said.

"The safety of our customers and staff is our No. 1 priority," she said. Mall hours for the next week will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and will get longer as Christmas approaches.

Source: Albuquerque Journal

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