3 months ago
(AP) -- Shopping mall operators say more shoppers are making purchases in cash and with debit cards today, instead of credit. One man carrying two bulging Macy's bags in Chicago said with cash, "you don't have the hangover in January." After a year of concentrating spending on basic necessities, some shoppers have been taking advantage of post-Thanksgiving deals on toys and TVs. But worries about jobs were on the minds of many shoppers, as they looked for bargains. At the Macy's flagship store in New York, which opened at 5 a.m., dozens of women were rummaging through a bin of purses marked 40 percent off the original price. The retail industry is headed into the holiday season with more practical goods on the shelves, reflecting shoppers' new mindset. But with unemployment at 10.2 percent, many analysts think total holiday sales won't be better than last year's.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
