Merchants upbeat for last shopping weekend before Xmas

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.