So, I like to go shopping the day after Christmas. I like it considerably more than shopping on Black Friday, and I’ve been going for all of the years I can remember, though some of them I’ve worked in retail so “shopping” mostly occurred on breaks or during lunch. I’ve mentioned this before, sometimes in ridiculous detail (that 2005 one is somewhat mortifying 6 years later). (Also, I didn’t mention shopping on the day after Christmas in 2004, but this post about working on the day after Christmas is hilarious.)
Anyways, I like to look for two things primarily on Dec. 26: clearance Christmas stuff and clothes for me. The first is mostly done at Macy’s/Herbergers, and the second I did most of at the outlet mall. I actually went to the outlet mall because I have a pair of black Gap city flats that are starting to get worn out and I wanted to replace them but when I walked into the Gap at Southdale, they did not seem to have my size AND they were not on sale AT ALL, and I am not willing to pay $40 for flats that fold up into a bag. So I thought I’d check out the Gap Outlet, which had a color I liked better in my size for $22.
My biggest observation? It was considerably less busy than in previous years. I parked right next to the door at Southdale, and there were approximately 80203498 times more sales clerks than there were people shopping. Even the 75% off Christmas sale at Macy’s was easy to navigate, and that can sometimes be mobbed with older ladies. (I also did not previously realize that the Herbergers at Southdale does not have a home department. That will probably prevent me from ever going there again — I really only went there instead of Rosedale because it seemed more on the way to my other two destinations, which in retrospect I’m not even sure I was right about.) The outlet mall was somewhat busy, but not any more busy than it would be on an average Saturday. The only store that WAS busy was the Coach Outlet Store, which appeared to be having a really good sale and had a line out the door with tickets and times and everything. Which made me personally conclude I did not want to walk into the store, but also probably means that but for the Coach people, the mall wouldn’t have been that busy at all.
Overall, I got what I wanted and will probably only need to return one shirt that doesn’t fit. But if I were a retailer? I would not be pleased with that turnout at all. B said it was probably because the last thing people want after Christmas is more stuff, and I agree, but I find it mostly interesting that that argument has weight to a lot of people now when five years ago it seemed like a nonstarter.
