Stores plying shoppers with discounts

He noted that Toys “R” Us kept getting shipments of Fisher-Price’s T.M.X. Elmo and Nintendo Co.’s Wii video game system, although they sell out immediately. Other hot toys include Fisher-Price’s Kid Tough Digital Camera, and Lego Systems Inc.’s Mindstorms NXT robotics kit, he said.

According to two Best Buy Co. regional managers — one in West Paterson, N.J. and the other in Boston — the consumer electronics retailer had robust traffic, with shoppers focusing on buying flat-panel TVs and MP3 players.

“Shoppers are staying longer in the store,” said Chuck O’Donnell, a district service manager for the West Paterson store, noting the overall weekend was good.

Karen MacDonald, spokeswoman for Taubman Centers Inc., which operates or owns 23 malls in 11 states, said a sampling of malls on Saturday averaged a low-single digit percentage increase in sales compared to a year ago. Among the most popular items were cashmere, jewelry and consumer electronics like flat-panel TVs and digital cameras.

Billie Scott, spokeswoman at Simon Property Group, which owns or operates 175 malls in 38 states, said stores have been “pleased with traffic and sales” this weekend. She noted that people seem to be “shopping early in the day.”

What may help merchants this year is that Hanukkah is occurring earlier than last year, beginning Dec. 15, while last year, it started Dec. 25. Analysts expect the Saturday before Christmas to be the busiest shopping day.

It was clear this weekend that as many people were trying to get their shopping done, others felt little time pressure.

Chase Porterfield was at the Greenwood Park Mall in Indianapolis on Saturday just getting ideas for gifts for his parents and his teenage brother and sister.

“Just looking around,” he said, noting he had no specific items in mind.

And Chris Deboer, of Miami, who was shopping for a car radio at a Circuit City store in Doral, Fla., said he had not started his holiday shopping yet.

“Next week, maybe,” he said.

It was clear this weekend that as many people were trying to get their shopping done, others felt little time pressure.

Chase Porterfield was at the Greenwood Park Mall in Indianapolis on Saturday just getting ideas for gifts for his parents and his teenage brother and sister.

"Just looking around," he said, noting he had no specific items in mind.

And Chris Deboer, of Miami, who was shopping for a car radio at a Circuit City store in Doral, Fla., said he had not started his holiday shopping yet.

"Next week, maybe," he said.

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