Holiday Sales and Traffic Look Good So Far

The Arboretum of South Barrington in South Barrington, IL, one of Starwood’s 30 centers in the US.

CHICAGO—The 2016 holiday retail sales season kicked off with healthy sales of apparel and strong traffic on Black Friday, according to Chicago-based Starwood Retail Partners in its first “Holiday Report,” its weekly update on sales and traffic figures throughout its 30-center portfolio.

The initial numbers appear to justify the optimism felt by many retailers in the run up to the holidays. A number of apparel retailers reported strong gains in stores around Starwood’s portfolio, especially on Black Friday, as did cosmetics. Warm weather in the Central and East regions slowed outerwear sales, company officials say, but footwear was selling well at many department stores. Jewelry sales were mixed throughout the portfolio, with some tenants reporting double-digit declines from Thursday through late Saturday, while others reported equally large gains.