Carolers were singing sweetly. But they barely could be heard over the din at South Coast Plaza on Friday as shoppers swarmed to kick off the busiest shopping day of the year.
David Grant, general manager, was predicting a significantly stronger shopping season this year.
“Everything’s good,” he said.
Nordstrom, Robinsons-May and Gap were a few of the stores that opened at 6 a.m.
By 9 a.m., the only way to get a parking spot at South Coast Plaza was the prowling technique,following those who had finished shopping.
South Coast Plaza workers,there are 12,000 of them,parked off-site and were shuttled in.
Shoppers camped out in front of department stores, said Debra Gunn Downing, executive director of marketing for the shopping center.
Gunn Downing was busy cruising the mall, checking out the number of bags people were carrying and what kind of bags they were carrying.
Analysts had at first predicted a slow holiday season and then recently revised projections.
Locally, Deloitte & Touche LLP predicts sales could come in 5% higher than last year. Projections nationally are for a 3% to 6% rise in holiday sales.
Gunn Downing said South Coast had known all along it was going to be a strong season. South Coast Plaza has had 30 consecutive months of sales gains, she said.
