The Glendale Galleria hosted its annual Retail Holiday Panel on Tuesday, giving consumers the inside scoop on the latest retail trends, consumer spending habits and holiday forecasts. The hour-long press event featured a panel of speakers that touched on a variety of topics relating to the business of retail, and included a showcase of the popular toys and products for the season. In her presentation, Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, associate economist for the Kyser Center for Economic Research at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. (LAEDC), said holiday shoppers in the Los Angeles area will spend 2 to 3 percent more than they did last year, a dip from the 5 percent increase they drove in last year. Martinez blamed the slower growth on lack of consumer confidence and the fragility of the financial market. Mall officials and retailers painted a bright picture for the holiday season. Shoshana Puccia, senior marketing manager for the Glendale Galleria, said the shopping center expects to see a 2.8 increase in sales over last year. “Third quarter sales were up,” Puccia said. “We’re optimistic about the holiday season.” Puccia said the mall aims to pump up fourth-quarter sales by encouraging consumers “to take advantage of ways to make shopping easy” and use social media such as Twitter and Facebook to follow sales and promotions at their favorite mall store.
