Warm Weather Puts A Damper On Holiday Shopping Spirit

BOSTON (CBS) - Santa's at the mall, the tree is lit at Faneuil Hall, but the stores are quiet. "The consumer is a funny animal," says Massachusetts Retailers Association President Jon Hurst, who blames lackluster holiday sales on the warm weather. Consumers just aren't in the holiday buying mood.

"Really about a third of all sales are impulse buys. So if you're not in the store in the first place, because you know, you're not in the mood to shop, you're not going to make those impulse buys, and those may be sales that just never recover," says Hurst.

There is one benefit for consumers, stores will be trying to make up for the slow start by offering deeper discounts in the week leading up to Christmas.

In:
• Christina Hager