Gift card sales, in particular, jumped a sizable 45%, he said.
"That's very positive for the retailers because when people come back [to redeem their gift cards], they usually spend a little bit more money," he said.
In spite of gloomy national headlines predicting sales that would lag behind strong 2005 numbers, early figures indicate a range of 2% to 7% increases, said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
Preliminary results in Southern California seem to be consistent with that range, he said.
"In Southern California, we did extremely well," he said. "People we've talked to at the malls and store owners are all very, very happy. Some made year sales goals a couple of days before Christmas. All and all it's not a bad year."
And postChristmas sales could further bolster final numbers, he said.
"There's a lot of stuff going on sale now, a lot of gift cards and that could be a very powerful combination," he said.
The Burbank Town Center was crowded on Tuesday as the first wave of bargain seekers hit the shops, O'Neil said. This year the crowds were thicker on Dec. 23 than on Dec. 24, likely due, in part, to the fact that Christmas Eve fell on a Sunday this year, he said.
Sales are anticipated to slow at the beginning of 2006, he said.
"January is historically a slower time for the retail industry — that's to be expected," he said.
The influx of new tenants into the mall — 13 announced in 2006 — has attracted shoppers from inside and outside of Burbank, who are realizing the convenience of shopping in downtown Burbank, he said.
And as powerhouse national chains like Old Navy and Loehmann's join the Town Center roster, more high-profile retailers are expected to follow, he said.
"We're really pleased that we think a lot of residents of Burbank are coming in and shopping locally — that always is just a positive," he said. "It helps us in our efforts to bring in more national tenants, like we've been successfully doing here over the last year."
