Mall traffic steady with last minute shoppers

Cheyenne Water and Natalie Herrfurth, employees at Bath and Body Works at the Dayton Mall, greet customers as they walk into the store Dec. 18, 2020. The employees ask if they can assist shoppers by helping them find the items they are looking for. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

Cheyenne Water and Natalie Herrfurth, employees at Bath and Body Works at the Dayton Mall, greet customers as they walk into the store Dec. 18, 2020. The employees ask if they can assist shoppers by helping them find the items they are looking for. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF
Local News
By India Duke
Dec 21, 2020
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While many people started their holiday shopping earlier this year, some are still waiting to score the perfect deal on their gifts.

Shoppers who still have to complete at least half of their Christmas shopping fall into the category of procrastinators. In a National Retail Federation survey, 54% of shoppers plans to finish their shopping the week leading up to Christmas, despite online sales and the ongoing pandemic.

Dayton Mall general manager Dave Duebber said with the pandemic in mind, mall traffic has been steady as shoppers continue to pick up gifts.

“Traffic is not like it’s been in years past, but it has been good solid traffic,” he said. “We have people shopping in here on a regular basis.”

ExploreLocal malls gear up for busy holiday shopping weekend

Of those wrapping up their shopping, 37% haven’t decided what they want to buy, 26% are waiting for wishslists from friends and family, and 23% are waiting for the best deals. The survey suggests roughly 62% of shoppers plan to shop during the weekend before Christmas, leaving them just under a week to finish shopping and wrap gifts in preparation for the holiday.

Businesses continue to push out promotions and holiday deals online, and in stores in an effort to continue driving sales. Various mall retailers continue sales that mirror Black Friday with up to 60% off select items.

“A lot of the stores are reporting that they are ahead of where their plan was, where they thought they would be,” Duebber said. “That’s been adjusted for the pandemic, but that’s an encouraging sign.”

During the pandemic, stores have given gifters the opportunities to shop deals online earlier than previous years. From the survey, 59% of shoppers started holiday shopping in early November in comparison to the 26% in the previous years.

Gordon Gough, president and CEO of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, said the influx of shoppers could be due to work schedules, family responsibilities and the deadlines for free shipping.

ExploreShipping deadlines approaching quickly

“The various shipping companies such as UPS, FedEx and others have been inundated with the increase in online sales, so a lot of opportunities to buy online are really ending today, and probably over this weekend unless they do expedited shipping,” he said.

Holiday Mall Hours:

Dayton Mall: Monday Dec. 21 through Wednesday Dec. 23 open 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Open Christmas Eve 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Greene Town Center: Monday Dec. 21 through Wednesday Dec. 23 open 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Open on Christmas eve 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The Mall at Fairfield Commons: Monday Dec. 21 through Wednesday Dec. 23 open 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Open Christmas Eve 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The Greene: Saturday, Dec. 19-Sunday, Dec. Wednesday, Dec. 23, Open 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Open Christmas Eve 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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About the Author

India Duke is a Dayton Daily News All Media Journalist. She joined the newspaper in August 2020.