Shoppers in East stay home to avoid big snowfall

WASHINGTON (AP) — "Super Saturday" may just end up as Snowy Saturday in much of the eastern U.S.

The last Saturday of shopping before Christmas, usually one of the busiest days of the year for retailers, was snowed out on most of the East Coast by blizzard-like conditions that stretched from the Carolinas to New England.

Most retailers were open but crowds were sparse on a day stores count on for a successful season.

Treacherous roads and near white-out conditions kept many shoppers away from shopping malls and other stores. For retailers hoping for a better holiday season than last year's dismal sales, the bad weather was especially painful.

"You are looking at your busiest day of the year and taking it away," said Steven Aarons, manager of Barstons Child Play, a toy store in Washington.

Forecasts for the Washington region called for up to 20 inches of snow. A heavy coat was already on the ground by the time most stores opened around midmorning.

Compounding problems were snow-covered roads and spotty public transportation. Shopping malls were especially affected by bad roads. In Washington, the Metro subway system shut down above-ground stations in the early afternoon, effectively cutting off rail service to many big suburban shopping centers.

In the Friendship Heights section of the city, usually a bustling retail area with big department stores and upscale shops, most foot traffic came from work crews scraping away snow and spreading salt. Some big stores opened on time, but others remained dark after their posted opening hours. Even the Salvation Army stand was unstaffed.

The King of Prussia Mall outside of Philadelphia opened on time at 8 a.m., but traffic was down significantly at the complex's 365 stores and 40 restaurants, according to a spokesman. The mall's traffic did get a boost Friday night from people wary of the coming storm.

The holiday shopping season so far has been mildly encouraging for retailers who have suffered due to high unemployment and the weak economy that have made consumers reluctant to spend. Most reports put spending slightly above last year's levels.

It's still unclear how the storm will affect sales later in the week and whether consumers who stayed home Saturday would shift their shopping to Sunday. Much of the worst weather was expected to be over by late Saturday in the Washington region but last into Sunday morning farther north.