Shoppers focused on gas, groceries and necessities.
Retailers reported sales gains, although merchants in some places said shoppers focused on buying "necessities".
ShopperTrak, a company that tracks shopping patterns, projected that the total foot traffic in retail stores during the coming season would fall 10percentt as shoppers focused on necessary purchases and targeted sales.
French mobile shoppers focused their purchasing mostly on clothing & accessories and toys.
Wal-Mart benefited last year as shoppers focused on necessities, but analysts say its disappointing December performance may signal that shoppers are pulling back even more.
Wal-Mart reported that last week's sales and store traffic remained on target and that shoppers focused on necessities such as household and personal care items.
The Uniquely J line, created to attract younger, millennial shoppers, focuses on environmentally friendly, well-designed products.
Legal & General, owner of the Eastbourne Arndale, East Sussex, toyed with the idea of a name change, but found that when it suggested it to shopper focus groups, it got back a resounding "no".
Like its sedan sibling, the sportier two-door Forte pops onscreen for online shoppers who focus on objective comparisons of price, engines, specifications and standard features.
Rather, he said, "we continue to evolve the stores to be more relevant to shoppers and focus on what's important to them.
