A bonanza of bargains competed with snow, slush, fog and icy drizzle in trying to capture shopper attention on the days following Christmas in the Chicago area last week, and the results were as mixed as the weather.
Stores alternated between being virtually empty and doing brisk business as shoppers kept one eye on the 50 percent-off signs and the other eye on treacherous driving conditions.
At stake were retailers’ hopes that the post-Christmas sales would boost holiday sales, which for many were lower than anticipated.
Although most retailers won’t release holiday figures for another week, several key Midwest-based chains–including Hoffman Estates-based Sears, Roebuck and Co., Milwaukee-based Carson Pirie Scott & Co. and Kohl’s Inc., based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., reported good business during the three days before Christmas.
A spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation, which represents major chains, said she expected holiday sales to be up about 5 percent over last year.
