A Big Cha-Ching for Retailers

By Dian Vujovich

I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that the day after Christmas will turn out to be the best shopping day of the season—and perhaps year—for many retailers bypassing the ever-popular and often-disappointing after-Thanksgiving Black Friday sales. At least that’s how it looks to me.

Saks Fifth Avenue had a mega-huge turn out of shoppers at The Town Center in Boca Raton Saturday morning. Their sale began at 8 a.m., lasted ’till noon and early birds were lined up outside the door before the store opened. In Boca. Can you imagine that!

I know this because I’d planned on being one of them but a Christmas carb hangover took some oomph out of my morning and I didn’t get to that mall until 10. Big mistake. Ten was too late. By the time I drove around trying to find a parking space (that took about 20 minutes) and got into the store, shelves in Saks’ Christmas gift area were picked over and basically bare except for a few fancy holiday bulbs here and there. Tables of sale items throughout the store were pretty much a mess with most of the good stuff gone.

Nordstrom’s men sale brought the guys in in droves. Saw dozens of them weeding through shoes and shirts looking for just the right deal. Funny to see. But men do love their shopping, too.

Stopped at the Celine Ruse kiosk in the center of the mall to purchase a silver chain to hang the Helen Ficalora charm that my dog bought me for Christmas and said to the girl, “This mall is crazy.” She said that today (Saturday) was busier than the day before Christmas was and the days prior to that.

Even shops along Worth Avenue looked as if they were enjoying a shopping bonanza day. Saw lots of shoppers carrying bags as I drove down the street. Marley, proprietor of Marley’s Palm Beach Collection, reported a cha-chingful day as her sales tallied considerably more on this day than they had during those prior to Christmas. And word is Brooks Brothers sale was hugely hugely successful.

It will be a while before the official numbers come out but with tons of people in town, I’m hoping that the shopping daze of yesterday will carry on throughout this week and into the New Year.