75% Empty Parking Lots

Today I finished my Christmas shopping, and my very limited anecdotal impressions support the idea that Christmas sales will be weak this year. Last year I think I completed my shopping about a week before Christmas but I had started shopping by mid-December and I could not easily find a parking space within 100 yards of a store door at the shopping center I visited today. Today, I pulled into the parking lot at noontime or so, and was able to find multiple first row parking spaces. I browsed through the selections, saw multiple nice items at 60% or more off, and got my wife something I hope she likes. I went to a couple different shops in a walkable 'town center' section of the center and it was nearly deserted past the Victorian Choir on the green. At no store was there more than half the registers open, and no lines deeper than two people. This was too easy.