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Victoria stores are optimistic

Shoppers remain cautious, however, and are shunning credit cards for cash

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  • Madeline Lewis •
  • Originally published November 30, 2008 at 11:27 p.m., updated November 30, 2008 at 11:27 p.m.

Sunday was the last day Freda Calhoun could use a coupon at Bath & Body Works in the Victoria Mall, so the Edna woman went shopping.

Calhoun was one of many that went shopping in Victoria during Thanksgiving weekend, according to some shop owners and managers. They said this weekend's sales met or surpassed last year's Thanksgiving weekend sales.

"Sales-wise, we did phenomenal," said Keith Foote, assistant manager of Sam's Club in Victoria. "I know we are in an economic slump, but you couldn't tell."

Sales at Sam's Club were "on target" to match the previous Thanksgiving weekend's sales, Foote said. However, he noticed a difference between the the two years. More people shopped but, individually, they tended to spend less money.

"A lot of stuff was marked down," he said. "Because of the economy, we had to put things at a lower price."

Shoppers in Victoria said they were spending money in preparation for Christmas - but conservatively.

Veronica Garcia went to the Victoria Mall on Sunday but didn't plan to stay long or buy much. She expects to spend less on Christmas shopping this year "because of everything going on in the economy," she said.

Additionally, some store owners and managers observed that shoppers were purchasing fewer luxury items.

"People are being more practical - buying gifts that people are going to use every day," said Kelly High, owner of High-Brehm Hats & Western Wear in Victoria.

Sales on items like blue jeans increased at High Brehm this year, High said. Sales in alligator boots did not.

What people bought and how much they spent were not the only changes over the Thanksgiving weekend. Several shop owners and managers also saw credit card usage decreased and other forms of payment, specifically cash, debit cards and checks, increase.

"When you write a check, it's money you have," said Mike Yokum, a manager at Target. "It helps people feel more comfortable with their situation."

Brenda Whitney-Skaggs, assistant manager at J.C. Penney, said more shoppers have recently opted to use cash when making their purchases.

Unlike several other stores in Victoria, J.C. Penney's sales on Thanksgiving weekend were not as strong this year as other years, Whitney-Skaggs said. In December, J.C. Penney anticipates only a slight sales loss.

"I think consumers are just being cautious right now," Whitney-Skaggs said.

  • What to expect on "Cyber Monday"

    Marketers refer to "Cyber Monday" as the first Monday following Thanksgiving weekend when people return to work and do their holiday shopping online.

    The National Retail Federation reported: "This year, according to a ...

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    • What to expect on "Cyber Monday"

    Marketers refer to "Cyber Monday" as the first Monday following Thanksgiving weekend when people return to work and do their holiday shopping online.

    The National Retail Federation reported: "This year, according to a BIGresearch survey conducted for Shop.org, 55.8 percent of workers with Internet access, or 72.8 million people, will shop for holiday gifts from work. The trend of employees with Internet access shopping from the office has continued to increase: in 2005, only 44.7 percent said they shopped online from work.

    Though slightly more than half of workers will be shopping from the office, some are more likely to make a dent in their wish lists than others. According to the BIGresearch survey, 70.0 percent of young adults 18-34 with Internet access will shop at work. Additionally, men are more likely to shop from work than women (60.3% vs. 51.5%)."

    Source: National Retail Federation


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