Merchants in Alabama says it's looking like robust Christmas shopping season so far and they're hoping procrastinating shoppers will make the season even merrier. At the Robert Moore & Co. Christmas Town in Mobile, general manager Larry Heard says he's seeing a trend of last-minute shoppers. A spokeswoman for the Alabama Retail Association, Nancy Dennis, said her organization is estimating that $9 billion will be spent by shoppers in Alabama during November and December. She said a 4 percent growth in sales is expected from 2011. She says it could well be the best Christmas shopping season since the recession.