Retailers are relying on shopping procrastinators

Anne D'Innocenzio

Friday, Dec. 22, 2000 | 11:03 a.m.

NEW YORK -- Kevin Moore, a 27-year-old media buyer, is a typical procrastinator. He waits until the last minute for things like paying bills, for completing projects for his clients, and, of course, for Christmas shopping.

"I'll be out on Saturday finishing up. I don't particularly like to shop," said Moore, a Bronx native, who has a half dozen gifts left to buy. "As far as the crowds, I get what I deserve."

This weekend, Moore won't only be battling it out with the other holiday slackers. He'll probably have to face the throngs of shoppers who were homebound last week because of the blizzards and rainstorms in the Midwest and Northeast, distracted by the drama surrounding the presidential elections or were lulled into thinking that they had plenty of time to shop.

Moore may also have to fight it out in the sweater departments with the throngs of professional bargain hunters, who are expected to be out in full force.

The diversified mix of shoppers may make for a combustible combination, and questions linger as to whether the nation's retailers will be able to handle the spike in traffic. Nevertheless, stores faced with lackluster sales since the holiday season opened, are counting on the crowds to save them.

But the outlook doesn't appear rosy.

According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, mall-based stores saw an 8.2 percent drop for the season-to-date through this past Sunday. Key retailers like Federated Department Stores Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. have reported declining sales for the third week in a row. Even merchandise marked down twice failed to inspire shoppers to buy over last weekend.

"It's too late for CPR. Get out the crash carts," John Morris, an analyst at Gerard Klauer Mattison, who this week trimmed his earnings estimates for a number of retailers. He added that stores are awash in such inventory as leather and sweaters, making it harder for stores to bring out their early spring merchandise.

However, John Konarski, vice president of research at the International Council of Shopping Centers, is optimistic that retailers will pull through.

He said he's heartened by a sales surge at malls this past week, and pins his hopes to holiday 1995, which was the last time there was a longer than usual 31-day holiday calendar. That year, six out of the seven days leading up to Christmas were among the 10 best days of the year.

Retailers are preparing for the crowds. Kmart Corp., hurt by the storms in the Midwest last week, says its stores will be remain open from 86 hours straight, from Thursday at 6 a.m. to Sunday until 8 p.m. "We wanted to make it more convenient for shoppers," said Mary Lorencz, a company spokeswoman. "This will also help us recover from lost sales."

Wal-Mart, the nation's top retailer, said it's ready. "We're waiting for the mad crush," said spokesman Tom Williams.

Victoria's Secret has further boosted staff this weekend, and is particularly ready for the unprepared male shopper, who on average accounts for more than 60 percent of the retailer's customers the last two days before Christmas, said Monica Mitro, vice president of public relations.

But while stores might like the crowds, it's a sure bet many consumers will not.

Christie Nordhielm, assistant professor of marketing at Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg graduate school of management predicts it "will be a jungle."

"There will be wild beasts dressed up like shoppers," she said. She and others noted that the die-hard procrastinators, which usually loathe shopping, will be the most difficult.

Staffing will also be an issue.

John Challenger, chief executive officer of Chicago-based Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement consulting firm in Chicago, said that earlier in the season about 75 percent of stores were able to meet staffing needs due mostly to low traffic in the stores. But this weekend, that figure will more likely drop to 50 percent, he said.

Signs of deteriorating customer service are appearing in stores already. Colorful sweaters were in disarray at Gap's store on Fifth Avenue at 52nd Street, and at Bloomingdale's, men's shirts were on the floor and ties were bunched together on tables. At Saks Fifth Avenue's women's designer floor, there were six people in line at the cash register, manned by one sales clerk.

Kara McCutcheon, 32, from Clark, N.J., said she got the run-around treatment from tony Tiffany & Co. ever since she ordered an engraved crystal platter on Nov. 12. During one of her trips to the Short Hills Mall in New Jersey last week, she had to wait in line with 50 other customers to be handed out a number and pager.

On Wednesday, she found out her order was never processed.

The customer service representative was apologetic, and promised her that the gift would be shipped via Federal Express this week. That still hasn't appeased her.

"I went for Tiffany's for convenience and atmosphere and I got the Kmart experience," she said.

Mark Aaron, a Tiffany spokesman, declined to comment.