Christmas is in the air at malls and shopping centers throughout central Virginia. As the economy continues to show signs of recovery, store owners say it's anybody's guess exactly where their bottom lines will fall come Christmas.

It is a winter wonderland inside the shops at 5807. Store owner Anne Brasfield is hoping some of that Christmas magic will rub off on her sales numbers.

"Our expectations are very high," said Brasfield. "People love Christmas and they love to give presents to other people. They may not be spending quiet as much but they're still going to have to buy the presents."

Experts are hoping for the best, but expecting close to the worst. The national retail federation expects holiday sales to decline about one percent this year. The only possible bright side -- that number isn't as bad as last year when sales dropped 3.4 percent.

"We still have a lot of consumer uncertainty due to the high unemployment rate," said VCU Marketing Chair David Urban. "That's not going down anytime soon and whenever people are out of work they are reluctant to spend money."

That's why the 20 different shops within the Patterson Avenue store are re-examining their prices this year. Other stores are following suit, offering special promotions and coupons.

Many stores are also adjusting their hours to give shoppers more opportunities to come on in. Only during November and December the shops at 5807 are open on Sundays. Retailers are trying every trick in the book to make sure this holiday shopping season is better than the last.

Source: NBC 12 News