Hungry for Sales: Macy's Lures Shoppers at All Hours of the Night

There are no crowds at the mall after midnight. There are no lines at the cash register, and most important for Ellen Loszynski, virtually no cars in the parking lot.

Loszynski, you see, had been here earlier Saturday afternoon -- when all she could do was drive around and around and around the parking lot at Tysons Corner Center, searching for just one unoccupied rectangle of space between two white lines.

All taken, all the time.

The only thing she could check off her Christmas shopping list was a haircut for her son, who ran inside while she kept circling.

But in the wee hours of Sunday morning, Loszynski of McLean was back for round two with her sisters and mother in tow. This time, they eased into the garage and breezed into the open-all-night Macy's. They snatched up socks, dish towels and a dress coat, all on sale. They spread out and worked quickly to scratch names off their lists.

They were planning to leave by 1 a.m., with plenty of time to get home and rest up. Mom had to be in church in a few hours.

The Macy's at Tysons was one of 13 stores across the country that stayed open for at least 108 hours over the past five days to try to squeeze in every last minute of sales as retailers struggle for a happy ending to this year's Christmas story. Shoppers have dramatically cut their spending and are finding that the holiday spirit doesn't have to mean holiday spending.

Foot traffic over the weekend before Christmas -- typically one of the heaviest of the year -- dropped 24 percent compared with last year, according to research firm ShopperTrak. Many retail experts are expecting this holiday to be the worst in decades.

Bah, humbug indeed.

The Tysons marathon began Saturday at 6 a.m., when the only people in the mall were there for exercise and Christmas carols blared but there were few people to sing along. Tarps covered the kiosks in the walkways, and metal gates barred entry to all the stores save one.

"Macy's Tysons Corner Never Sleeps," read signs at the entrance.

The company first experimented with round-the-clock shopping two years ago with one store in New York and slowly expanded. Tysons store manager Michael Rusciano said the untraditional hours allow those working late shifts -- say, the doctor on night call or the waiter serving dinner -- to shop at more convenient times. He also said it appeals to weary parents trying to play Santa's helpers while their children are asleep.