Survey: Post-Thanksgiving mall traffic drops 8.1 percent

Numbers no turkey as overall sales exceed 2000's

Shoppers jostle for position at the entrance of the Target store in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday.

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Two shopping surveys released Saturday showed that fewer Americans flocked to malls Friday than on the day after Thanksgiving last year, but overall sales at retail stores actually rose above 2000 levels.

About 4.6 million fewer shoppers visited the nation's malls on Friday than a year ago, according to a survey conducted by Chicago-based RCT Systems, Inc., which tracks mall traffic.

But a survey by TeleCheck, a Houston, Texas, firm that validates checks for stores, found that same-store sales rose an average of 2.4 percent over last year. TeleCheck's senior economic adviser, William Ford, called the jump "an encouraging early indication of spending for the season."

RCT Systems' survey found that 62.1 million shoppers visited the nation's 1,500 enclosed shopping malls on Friday, compared to 66.7 million visitors on the Friday after Thanksgiving in 2000. However, this year's traffic was still slightly ahead of the 1999 traffic level of 61.6 million.

The survey also found that traffic in department stores located in malls fell 12.4 percent, with 72.7 million visitors on Friday, compared to 83.1 million a year ago.

Despite the drop in shoppers, Jim Martin, vice president of RCT Systems, said that "put in perspective, these numbers look relatively strong," noting that Thanksgiving came early this year, giving shoppers extra days between now and Christmas.

He also said that in 2000, many malls for the first time launched early store hour openings and offered deep discounts, which drove up traffic.

RCT Systems, which compiles retail traffic data for subscribers, samples about 200 malls and 800 department stores to obtain data for the survey.

TeleCheck bases its survey on the volume of checks written by consumers at 27,000 stores, covering a cross-section of retailers. Checks account for about one-third of retail spending, according to TeleCheck.

Sales were higher in every region of the country, though the increases were strongest in the Southeast and Southwest.

In New York, still reeling from the World Trade Center terrorist tragedy, sales rose 2.6 percent, slightly above the national average, according to the TeleCheck survey.

On Saturday, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, calling shopping a "patriotic duty," went on spree at a music store near City Hall, buying some of his opera favorites.

Giuliani said he was optimistic about the holiday shopping season in New York, praising the high attendance at Thursday's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.