Traffic at stores was awful here. But, the economy is largely dependent upon location.
I’m in the Seattle area. We are supposed to still be “hot”.
This year “traffic” didn’t always come down to “traffic” either. To give one example: The FRy’s parking lot was completely full. The store was packed. People were coming and going in droves.
However, a lot of people were leaving without buying anything and a lot of small items were being sold (I was buying a $5 cable). Most importantly, there was no line at checkout, and several of their cashier stations were not manned. I didn’t count like I did at best buy though.
I do think it is all about what part of the country you’re in. However, it is also true that if people are going to the malls to “people watch” or buying less than last year, it can “look” like things are popping when they aren’t.