Holiday sales projections down

HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) - The countdown to Christmas is on but new projections find sales may be slowing.  The website ShopperTrack cut holiday projections saying foot traffic and sales are down five percent from this time last year. But at the Hampshire Mall in Hadley, many are still shopping.

“I started shopping probably 45 minutes ago,” said Greenfield resident Brock Briggs.

Procrastinators weren't the only ones scrambling to finish their holiday list.  “I started on Black Friday and probably spent more than I should,” said Ashley Parker outside Target.

“I always wait until the last minute and this time of year it's what the season is about I guess,” said Mitch May of Bernardston.  

On Thursday, Mary Briggs went shopping for her husband. “I like [going] during the week better, you can go down an aisle without somebody running you over.”

ShopperTrak records foot traffic in malls around the country.  They recently cut their sales estimates saying fewer people are going into stores; because sales peaked Thanksgiving weekend. But Best Buy's manager says Black Friday was just the beginning.

“It's not just Black Friday sales. That's just the start of the season. But everyone is coming in now, every week we have a different sale. I don't see a decrease, I just see a steady flow of customers,” said Store Manager Christian Faustmann.  

Faustmann told 22News they've hired more than a dozen seasonal employees to handle the shopping rush; with electronics being a big draw this holiday season. The National Retail Federation says more than a third of consumers plan to buy electronics this season.

“I'm looking for a camera that's very simple to operate. It's for my dad he's 70 and very low tech,” said Greg Zgrodnik of Hatfield.  

ShopperTrak says 40% of a retailers' yearly profits are made between November and December.