Markdowns up after Christmas

New York City Mall traffic appeared to rise during the weekend after Christmas, but markdowns at apparel retailers were relatively restrained due to lean inventories, analysts said Monday in an Associated Press report.

Roth Capital Markets analyst Elizabeth Pierce said traffic started out slowly on Saturday but picked up throughout the day.

Promotions among clothing retailers at the mall were widespread, she said, but they didn't "skyrocket the day after Christmas, which we attribute to lean inventory levels," she noted.

FBR Capital Markets analyst Adrienne Tennant said at some clothing retailers such as American Eagle and Urban Outfitters, "planned promotions and trend-right product served to attract customers without the need for deep discounting" throughout the holiday week and weekend.