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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, December 28, 2008

NO CROWDS AFTER CHRISTMAS
Day-after-Christmas shopping grim for most Hawaii retailers

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

The entrance to Sephora at Pearlridge Center tried to catch shoppers' eyes with the promise of bargains.

Photos by RICHARD AMBO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

At T&C Surf Designs at Pearlridge Center, Gal Paison of Kalihi, left, and nephew Kawaika Antolin of Las Vegas were looking for T-shirts.

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For longer than she can remember, Anne Willits of Waikiki would battle the crowds to take advantage of after-Christmas sales at Ala Moana Center.

Willits was back at the mall Friday morning with her family, looking for bargains. The administrative assistant said she found some good deals, but noticed something missing from her holiday tradition.

"This is the first time it has not been crowded, which is unusual — because usually the day after, people would come early, look around, grab bargains," Willits said during a lunch break from shopping. "It's empty. This is like a Monday, a Wednesday, a weekday or any day."

Faced with a down economy and lower-than-usual pre-Christmas sales, retailers were hoping that by slashing prices they could attract a flood of people Friday, traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year. The after-Christmas period has become increasingly important to retailers, but it appears that this year it will suffer from the same shopper malaise that infected the weeks leading up to Dec. 25.

The International Council of Shopping Centers, a trade group, estimated that sales at stores open at least a year have fallen 2 percent in November and December. That's the worst performance nationally since 1969.

"This week isn't going to do it," said Burt Flickinger, managing director of Strategic Resource Group. "Consumers are more cash- and credit-constrained than ever before. After a 25-year spending tsunami, they've shifted from spending to savings."

Although there were a lot of people at Ala Moana Center at about lunchtime Friday, there wasn't the mad rush and flocks of people that many expected.

Shoppers didn't have to circle the parking lot for a stall and there were no hordes of people inching through the mall or lining up at the registers. At the normally crowded food court, a hungry shopper could even find an open table.

"I think people are feeling the recession," Willits said. "A lot of people are laid off, and in talking to people in line at Macy's, people are really watching where their money is going. If they don't have to spend, they'll just stick with the necessities."

Wendy Vonderburgh of Hawai'i Kai made her annual after-Christmas trek to the mall with her mother, brother and daughter, Ashley. "This year is less crowded," Vonderburgh noted. "Even when you go to pay for things, there's not the long lines like there used to be. There are a lot of people, but I don't think they're buying much."

Vonderburgh said that the day after Thanksgiving, commonly referred to as Black Friday, and the two days preceding Christmas were busier at the mall than Friday. She and her daughter also said the sale prices weren't that great and that there didn't seem to be as great a variety of items on the shelves.

"Before Christmas, it was really good. Some stuff was so much cheaper," said Ashley Vonderburgh, a Kapi'olani Community College freshman. "Now there are deals, but not really. But it's OK. We'll still come. I love shopping."

BUYING SPREES

Sheri Uyehara of Waipahu took the day off to shop with her mother, grandmother and friend. She said the economy didn't stop them from scooping up bargain shoes, bags and clothes.

"All of our Macy's packages are already in the trunk," Uyehara said during a lunch break. "We hit Macy's, went to the car and we carried on to the mall. It's a family affair."

Mari Flores of Kalihi went to the mall at 7 a.m. to find a few good deals, but went home disappointed. She found some marked-down items at Guess, but not at her favorite Macy's.

Flores, who was looking for kitchenware, clothes and makeup, said: "All of the stuff that I bought wasn't even on sale. They were all regular price. Only certain things were on sale."

The day after Christmas also is a popular time for people to take gifts back to stores to exchange. But to the seasoned shopper, there is an unspoken rule that Friday was the day to shop, not return.

"There's a whole lot of people and everybody's buying, and then there's always the one person who just has to return everything," Ashley Vonderburgh said. "Oh, my gosh, you couldn't do this in four days?"

Uyehara agreed.

"Today's the day to only buy. Don't waste time standing in line returning," she laughed. "We have some people returning and the rest of us standing in line wasting time. Come back another day."

Bloomberg News Service contributed to this report.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.