Christmas may be over but retailers are still trying to lure shoppers with sales and deep discounts.

But as Jessica Forres found out this morning, many shoppers are staying home...



A handful of shoppers are waiting for the stores to open inside Montgomery mall in Bethesda, Maryland.

Sheryl Prieto, sipping a hot, mocha coffee, sits at a table with her aunt Gloria Rose and mother Elizabeth Waaler… Shopping the day after Christmas is their family tradition…But this year they are disappointed, not by the deals, but by the crowds...

WE'RE TRYING TO FIND SOME DEALS BUT I WAS JUST SAYING, IT'S KIND OF DISAPPOINTING I LIKE THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE AND THERE'S NO HUSTLE AND BUSTLE AROUND.
- AND THE PARKING LOT WAS SO EMPTY.

Across the Potomac River at Tyson's Corner Center in McClean, Virginia... a similar scene.
Donald Donoho and his daughter Carla Watkins arrived at 6:45am.

THE MALL WASN'T OPEN AND ONLY MACY'S WAS OPEN, THERE WAS NO CROWD EVERYBODY'S SHOPPED OUT.

Joel Bines with Alex Partners, a global consulting firm, says this holiday season, grocery retailers and stores, such as Target and Walmart held up fairly well. .

BUT ONCE YOU START MOVING INTO SPECIALTY CATEGORIES, DEPARTMENT STORES, LUXURY STORES, JEWELRY STORES, TOY STORES. IT MEANS IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY DIFFICULT 2009 FOR THEM FINANCIALLY AND UNLESS THE RETAILERS ARE IN A VERY STRONG POSITION IN 2009, THEYA RE GOING TO HAVE REAL LIQUIDITY CHALLENGES.

He says.. overall this has been the worst shopping season for retailers in 35 or 40 years.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News