Holiday shoppers were expected to wait on last minute deals this season.
After a big boom on Black Friday, overall retail sales saw a slight decline in November.
That was also the case for many small businesses, who say they've been hit by the recession as well.
Many small business owners across the Pee Dee say they depend on the influx the local economy provides.
One such business is Burry Bookstore in Hartsville.
Its owner, Emily Phillips, said like other businesses, and like expected, her store has seen a decline in holiday shopping this season.
"The trend this year has been that we have seen a decrease in the number of shoppers, and this has not been a good year, it's been a difficult year," Phillips said.
She did say though, that business began to pick up as the holidays drew closer.
"The last month, I've been real pleased with that, because we've seen an increase in traffic, an increase in our sales," Phillips said.
Economic experts say the weakened economy is still having an impact on sales but they also say that many shoppers are simply playing the waiting game to get the best deal.
Those shoppers include Hartsville resident Ronda McElveen who said even though her family is waiting to find the best prices, they are not necessarily spending less.
"We are waiting until right before, but we are spending as much as ever, I find in our lives," McElveen said.
Though big box and small businesses alike have all taken a hit, small business owners say they're trying to provide services not necessarily available in larger stores.
"We try our best to know who our customers are, to call them by name, to make this time of year which is typically very hectic and stressful...we want them to feel like they're walking into a home," Phillips said.
Though the stress of lower sales may continue in stores across the area, many business owners are hoping the outlook for 2010 will be much brighter.
"I'm just hoping to see a little bit of a trend upward and I don't think there's gonna be a huge change, so I think you've got to be realistic," Phillips said.
A bright spot in the holiday shopping season was online sales.
Retail analysts say "Cyber Monday" sales were up 20% this year compared to 2008.
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