Gift cards keep the shopping season going

ANDERSON, SC — After several weeks of shopping for other people, Clemson resident Judy Twiggs and her daughters hit the mall again this week. This time to shop for themselves. With gift-card sales reaching a new high, January is gaining importance for retailers. The National Retail Federation estimated gift-card sales would rise to nearly $25 billion this holiday season, up 34 percent from 2005. Ms. Twiggs said gift cards accounted for almost half of her holiday gifts this year. She likes to give the girls a mix of presents and gift cards. Gift cards are available for almost everything, and it's easier than figuring out what someone wants, she said. "I think it's a good gift," 13-year-old Jessica Twiggs said. "You can buy what you want. You don't have to guess." Anderson Mall general manager Shane McWhorter said mall traffic is busiest the week after Christmas when stores have post-holiday sales.

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Sunday shopping prompts cuts to mall hours

Attention Halifax shoppers: Sunday store openings have prompted slight changes in retail hours at the Halifax Shopping Centre and Mic Mac Mall. The Halifax Shopping Centre, which is now open from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, is cutting back its Monday to Saturday hours and will open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The mall previously stayed open until 9:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Mic Mac Mall, which is also open from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, will keep its hours of 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday but will close at 6 p.m. instead of 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. CGI Group attains new level of certification CGI Group Inc. has attained a new level of service maturity in the Maritimes. The global information technology and business process services firm announced Thursday it has attained Level 3 CMMI (capability maturity model integration) certification at its Atlantic global delivery centres in Halifax and Charlottetown.

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BUSINESS: Warm weather makes for hot shopping season in Ridgefield

It was a merry Christmas for most town retailers as the holiday season met or even surpassed most expectations of sales volume. The unusually mild weather in December was also a factor, some Ridgefield merchants said, as they saw an increase in foot traffic. This entire fall season was very exciting, said Suzanne Brennan at ShoeLaLa on Bailey Avenue. The holiday season always brings a peak in gift certificates, but we were up over last year. It was the same story at the Toy Chest on Main Street. Business did very well and I think its due to the good weather, said Philip Harding. We also extended our hours and were open on weekends. We have steady business throughout the year but we clearly do even more during Christmas and Hanukah. Tracey Baines at P.E. Girls on Main Street said her three-month-old store had nothing to compare with when it came to holiday sales.

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