Local Retailers Experiencing Late Surge In Holiday Shoppers

Many retailers across the country have been reporting that Black Friday and other specialty days early in the season weren't as busy as in years past.

Rick Kidder, President & CEO of the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce says this has become part of a trend and retailers have had to adjust by offering deals throughout the holiday shopping season.

"It used to be that you'd offer a few doorbusters and that would be enough to get people in the door," said Kidder "nowadays you see pretty much deep discounts all the way through the season and leading up to the holiday itself, because that's the model that virtually everybody has started to follow."

Kidder also says that the unseasonably warm weather has also had an impact as well with shoppers not getting into the christmas spirit and delaying their shopping.

However, he says that there has been a late surge in shopping as the holiday nears.

"I think the warm weather is something that kind of stifles things early on," said Kidder "you don't get that sense that it's Christmas time until you start looking in the shop windows and realize the calendar is clicking away and you're getting close to the 25th."

This is also a year that many people will be putting gift cards under the christmas tree as opposed to wrapped presents which Kidder says can also be an opportunity for many local retailers.

"Because there are both store based gift cards and also Visa and MasterCard and American Express gift cards they can be used in alot of creative ways so that our local retailers, who may not be part of national chains with gift cards, cna still actually have wonderful sales after the holidays," said Kidder.

Kidder also says that the holiday season has been good for local retailers and he believes they will meet expectations.