When setting out on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, it's best to have a well-planned strategy. For the Johnston family of Eugene, the plan centered on Bucky's Backyard.
The toddler playground at Washington Square mall in Tigard bustled with activity Saturday, much like the mall's walkways, retail spaces and parking lots. The day after Christmas is regarded as one of the three busiest shopping days of the year, and Washington Square was doing its part.
For Gary Johnston of Eugene, his shopping plan involved teamwork.
With Bucky's Backyard as the operations base, his wife had set out Saturday afternoon for her post-holiday bargain hunting. Upon her return, Johnston, a financial adviser, would head over to Nordstrom for its clothing sale.
In theory, sons Alexander, 6, and Thomas, 3 1/2, would remain contented throughout in Bucky's Backyard.
More determined shoppers had already descended on the mall and its 170 stores as early as 5 a.m. in search of bargains at anchors such as JC Penney and Macy's.
That shopper description didn't fit Kevin Brague or his daughter, Caitlin Brague, both of Tigard.
Their shopping day began at 10 a.m. at the Crate & Barrel in Bridgeport Village. Then it was on to Washington Square.
"It was impossible to get parking," Kevin Brague said.
As it turns out, it was possible to find an empty spot among the mall's 6,900 spaces. But it took 20 minutes.
He said he wouldn't typically spend the afternoon after Christmas in a shopping mall, but this was a different sort of year.
With a depressed economy, he and his wife set aside part of the holiday shopping budget to hit day-after sales.
Prices "are better this year than they were last year," Brague said.
And sales for Washington Square retailers were strong this holiday season, said Jonae Armstrong, senior manager for the mall. Several store managers said the season has been profitable, Armstrong said.
"They were strategic in the quantities they bought," she said, "and they didn't have to do the deep discounting that many retailers were forced to do last year."
In addition to the Saturday after Christmas, the day after Thanksgiving and the Saturday before Christmas are the busiest shopping days, Armstrong said.
If forecasting consumer whims months in advance of the holiday season wasn't tough enough, last year's holiday season will always be remembered for the snowstorm that paralyzed the region for days and crippled consumer buying. Washington Square even closed early a couple days in 2008.
Zumiez,which specializes in clothing for snowboarders and skateboarder was hard hit last season, store manager Daniel Buck said, and sales had been slow throughout much of this year. Then December arrived.
"It's been a great month," he said.
