Southland’s Registers Ring the Loudest

Southern California department stores outpaced the nation in retail sales over the Thanksgiving weekend as consumer confidence and a pent-up demand for clothing helped merchants find success in dress.

Sales at mall specialty stores nationwide rose an unexpectedly strong 11.9%, and department stores reported solid national gains and exceptionally strong sales in Southern California.

Sears, Bloomingdale’s, J.C. Penney and Target said weekend business at their Southern California stores was better than their national averages. Macy’s also recorded healthy sales increases in the Southland. Macy’s operates the former Bullock’s stores.

In contrast, Southern California department stores reported dismal sales during the 1995 holiday season, partly because of anxiety from corporate downsizing and mergers such as Wells Fargo’s acquisition of First Interstate, said Richard Giss, a partner in the retail consulting division of Deloitte & Touche.

“There was some insecurity about the Southern California job market last year,” Giss said. “Now consumer confidence in the region is strong.”

Giss said much of the demand for clothing is for upscale apparel.

“We’re seeing a return to name labels and more interest in better-quality merchandise,” Giss said.

Bloomingdale’s is among those benefiting from rising Southland interest in the upscale. Nationwide, weekend sales at Bloomingdale’s rose 7% to 9%, but volume was even higher at the chain’s three Southern California locations, said Michael Lindblad, regional vice president.

Cashmere sweaters, leather coats and women’s sportswear were strong sellers, he said.

“We significantly exceeded our expectations,” Lindblad said. “We’re seeing consumers who are willing to step out and spend more.”

Budget-conscious shoppers also showed more interest in apparel last weekend, said Susan Eich, spokeswoman for the Minneapolis-based Dayton Hudson Corp., operator of the Mervyn’s and Target chains.

“We’re seeing a surprising level of demand for men’s and women’s clothing,” she said. “And we’re seeing a significantly stronger performance at our California stores.”

Athletic apparel and clothing for children were among the strongest sellers at J.C. Penney’s stores. The chain’s sales rose 4% to 6% nationwide, but the increases were higher in Southern California and a few other urban areas, said company spokesman Duncan Muir.

Clothing made of wool, denim and cashmere sold well at Macy’s. Sales at Southern California Macy’s exceeded expectations, said Michael Steinberg, head of San Francisco-based Macy’s West.

Steinberg said retailers are generating higher sales partly because they launched seasonal promotions and advertising campaigns earlier, reminders that there are five fewer shopping days than usual between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.

Sears launched one of the biggest early-season advertising campaigns. Company spokesman Tim Conway said the campaign, called “Wrap It Up Early,” helped Sears generate all-time sales records nationwide and locally for Thanksgiving weekend, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.

The ad campaigns helped rack up the 11.9% sales increase at the nation’s malls, said Mark Schoifet, a spokesman for the International Council of Shopping Centers. The council, which does not break out figures by region, released its weekend survey Monday of 3,000 stores at 57 malls.

Despite the unexpectedly strong weekend, the shopping center trade group is predicting a more moderate 4.9% increase in sales for the holiday season. Most retail analysts agree.

“The economy is not strong enough to sustain an 11% increase in overall sales,” said Kurt Barnard, a New Jersey-based retail economist.

* BREATHING EASIER

Brisk sales and economic reports eased fears that the economy is waning. D3