Retailers pushing holiday sales as storm looms

By Alexandria Sage

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Retailers opened their doors early to recession-weary shoppers on Saturday in a final, frenzied push to save holiday sales with the added disruption of a winter storm heading for the country's Midwest and Northeast.

The National Retail Federation predicted that two-thirds of Americans still had holiday shopping left to do but foul weather kept many close to home in some parts of the country on Friday. Freezing rain and snow were expected for several regions through the weekend.

The storms hit at the worst possible time for U.S. store chains, which are trying to salvage the critical holiday shopping season amid a flagging economy and lure consumers with last-minute deals before Christmas next week.

Many shoppers have said they are giving fewer gifts and looking only for marked-down merchandise, grim news for retailers who may see their weakest holiday season since the early 1990s.

"It's bad news," said Scott Bernhardt, chief operating officer of national weather forecasting service Planalytics, speaking of Friday's storm and another to hit later on Saturday.

"Today is the day -- it's going to count more than ever because you're not getting Sunday," Bernhardt said. "That first storm really shocked people and when the weatherman says it's going to snow on Sunday it will keep people away."

The inclement weather put extra pressure on retailers to ring up sales on "Super Saturday," the final Saturday before Christmas.