October Sales Offer Relief To Merchants

Stores are hoping there will be more shoppers like Ann Allenbaugh of Montgomery, Ohio, who plans to start holiday shopping sooner than usual.

"It does seem like the prices are down now at the mall, so I would buy something I saw at a good price," she said.

Still, the concern is that shoppers will show up for the big specials on the day after Thanksgiving and then not come back to the malls until a few days before Christmas.

Gale Montague, from Richmond, Va., said in past seasons she would be done by Thanksgiving. "Now, I'll wait for the sales, and that means later," she said.

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AP Writers Christopher S. Rugaber in Washington, Michael Felberbaum in Richmond, Va., and Dan Sewell in Cincinnati contributed to this report.

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