Updated at: 12/23/2012 12:36 PM THE NEWS: Last-minute shoppers crowded into malls and stores during the last weekend before Christmas, but many didn’t seem to be in the spending spirit. THE BIG PICTURE: This holiday season, Americans have a lot on their minds: the Superstorm Sandy cleanup in November, the recent Newtown, Conn., school shooting and the fast approaching "fiscal cliff" deadline. That’s led to a muted approach to holiday shopping, which is bad news for retailers, which can make up to 40 percent of annual sales during November and December. WHAT’S NEXT: ShopperTrak expects holiday spending to rise just 2.5 percent, to $257.7 billion.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)