'Super Saturday' arrives in person for Chattanooga area shoppers as shipping challenges remain

The Saturday before Christmas - billed as "Super Saturday" by merchants eager to capture holiday shoppers - has traditionally been one of the top shopping days of the year, if not the biggest day of the year for retail sales.

But this year for the first time since 2010, Super Saturday falls a full week before the Dec. 25 holiday, so all of next week could be busy as shoppers try to buy all their gifts in an era when shipping delays and supply shortages may prevent some online deliveries.

In its annual calendar forecast of shopping activity, Sensormatic Solutions predicts Saturday will be the second busiest shopping day of the year, surpassed only by "Black Friday" on the day after Thanksgiving three weeks ago, when many retailers offered special deals and extended hours to get shoppers in the door.

(READ MORE: Pikeville, Tennessee, gets decked out for Christmas, aims to attract visitors)

In-person shopping is definitely up from a year ago, when more consumers avoided malls and stores when filling their Christmas stockings.

"Traffic levels have rebounded over the last several months, and double-digit portfolio sales increases have continued," said Stephen Lebovitz, chief executive of CBL & Associates Properties, which owns both Hamilton Place and Northgate malls in Chattanooga along with more than 100 other retail properties across the nation.

CBL spokesperson Stacey Keating said CBL properties are enjoying higher traffic and sales throughout this year than even before the pandemic slowed the economy last year.

"Fueled by pent-up demand, stimulus checks and consumers generally being in a better financial position, sales year-to-date portfolio-wide and at Hamilton Place mall are up double digits over 2019," Keating said. "Retailers are in a better position financially and have done a great job integrating their online and in-store platforms to provide the customer with a more seamless experience."

SUPER SATURDAY

The National Retail Federation predicts holiday sales during November and December will grow between 8.5% and 10.5% over 2020 to between $843.4 billion and $859 billion. The numbers, which exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants, compare with a previous gain of 8.2% in 2020 to $777.3 billion and an average increase of 4.4% over the past five years.

"Consumers are in a very favorable position... as income is rising and household balance sheets have never been stronger," said Mathew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation. "Retailers are making significant investments in their supply chains and spending heavily to ensure they have products on their shelves to meet this time of exceptional consumer demand."

This year, however, that final sprint to Christmas will be shaped by conflicting factors. A strong wave of early holiday shopping means some consumers may have less to buy. Warmer weather in Chattanooga and much of the nation could make people feel more comfortable driving to the mall or make them feel less in the holiday spirit. And the persistence of the COVID-19 virus and its variants could cause some to remain wary about public gatherings and shopping trips.

"Usually, all data points are directionally all pointing to a similar outcome," Steph Wissink, a retail analyst for Jefferies, told CNBC news on Friday. "Right now, there are data points that are conflicting each other. So we're trying to solve for, 'What is the consumer ultimately going to do?'"

Sensormatic predicts U.S. in-store traffic for this year's holiday season will be up over last year but down compared to 2019.

"While COVID-19 is still making headlines as we head into the holidays, vaccine availability and retailers' health and safety measures have put us in a different place with many consumers more comfortable shopping in stores compared to the 2020 holiday season," said Bjoern Petersen, president of Sensormatic Solutions.

EXTRA HOURS

To help shoppers during the holiday buying rush, both Hamilton Place and Northgate malls will open be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. most of the next week except on Sunday, when the malls will open at 11 a.m. and on Christmas Eve, when stores will open early at 8 a.m. and then close at 6 p.m.

A survey this month of 627 Tennessee consumers by researchers at Middle Tennessee State University found that 39% of respondents said they expect to do the majority of their holiday shopping online this year, compared to 53% who planned primarily online purchases last year.

"Consumers are becoming more comfortable shopping in retail stores and engaging in other consumer-related activities," said Tim Graeff, marketing professor and director of the Office of Consumer Research at MTSU. "Overall, these results are good news for local businesses and retailers."

Consumers are spending more confidently due to a third round of federal stimulus checks and the distribution of effective COVID-19 vaccines, which led to the return of in-person services for many consumers.

"The economic recovery has been incredibly strong so far, and the Tennessee economy seems to be on solid footing," said Larry Kessler, research associate professor in the Boyd Center and project director for the 2022 Economic Report delivered this week to Gov. Bill Lee.

Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6340.