The New Black Friday?
By ABC-7 Reporter Marissa Monroy
El Paso — Like the rest of the country, markdowns, deep discounts and price cuts seemed to be everywhereFriday in El Paso. But unlike other malls nationwide, El Paso retailers reported normal or better than expected sales.
“As soon as we were getting merchandise in, the stuff was going directly out to the floor and as soon as we opened up the doors, it was going directly back out the doors,” Gap Outlet store manager, Travis Newman said.
Shoppers cleared out shelves and left nothing but hangers hanging on racks. “We are running low on inventory,” Newman said. “We weren’t expecting sales to go as crazy as they did.”
The brisk business was a welcoming sight for retailers who struggled to get shoppers to open up their wallets earlier in the holiday season.
“I think the American people are really resilient and really strong and I think today is going to be one of the better shopping days of the year,” Sergio Coronado said. “We gotta hold up our end of the deal of getting the economy back on track.”
Across town, officials at Cielo Vista Mall reported average post-Christmas sales. Still, retail experts say these deep savings are not necessarily good for business. Many say the discounts are forcing some retailers to move into the black.
