Retailers hope Christmas shopping frenzy will help bottom line

It's a make or break time of year for many retailers, particularly in a city hit hard by the price of oil, as shoppers scramble to put check marks onholiday shopping lists.

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"I'd say 60 per cent of the year relies on a healthy Christmas season," said Wendy Back, the owner or ArtesanoGalleria in Inglewood.

She says November has been slow and she's hopeful the final weekend before Christmas will helpmake up some ground.

Slowdown in Alberta

According to Canadian retail analyst Jim Danahy, retailers shouldn't get too down if the weekend isn't all they expect it to be.

"You will probably see more shopping done after the weekend than you will on it because you've got threefull shopping days ahead of Christmas," he said.

Danahy says retail shopping in Alberta is expected to be down this year,butstores selling toys, electronics and speciality gifts that are popular should fare well.