Georgia Public Broadcasting News: The latest statewide news & features, sights & sounds, all webcast in streaming audio, video, & broadcast on your local GPB station


GPB's News site has MOVED!

Check out our completely redesigned webpage at


for the latest in local and statewide Georgia news!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Georgia retailers hope for stout Labor Day weekend

As high gas prices continue to hijack consumer-budgets, retailers across the state could be the beneficiary this Labor Day weekend.

AAA South says their surveys show drivers will stay closer to home over the holiday weekend to cut fuel costs. Gas prices have been inching upward over the past couple of days due to concerns over Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf.

However, people staying closer to home may translate instead to money spent at the store. John Heavener is president of the Georgia Retail Association:

"We’re hoping they’ll go to the malls and stores and spend some time there, and do believe they will. So we look for a slight bounce over what we’ve had most of the summer".

Heavener says while retailers across-the-board could do well, deeper-discount stores could hit a bigger jackpot this weekend.

He says the early August sales-tax holiday gave retailers good sales numbers to carry them through mid-September.

TALKBACK:

Send us your questions or comments about Georgia Gazette. Please include your full name, location, and telephone number.