While people aren’t expected to loosen the grips on their wallets anytime soon, local malls are still optimistic that this holiday season will be merrier for them than the last.

The International Council of Shopping Centers predicts a moderate gain for 2009 in holiday sales. Local malls say they expect that to be the case.

The Mall at Stonecrest has seen an uptick in sales since September, said marketing manager Donald Bieler.

“People are starting to shop again,” Bieler said. “We’ve started the slow climb but it won’t be quick. It is going to be a long climb.”

North DeKalb Mall has seen an increase in traffic since Halloween, said the mall’s marketing manager, Mary Joyce Burdge.

“To be sure, I believe people are going to be sticking to a stricter budget than they may have had in the past, but I think there may be a small increase in spending over last year,” Burdge said.

Though there are about 10 shuttered spaces at the Gallery at South DeKalb, general manager Tene Harris said the mall is “90 percent occupied” and that mall traffic has been stable throughout the year.

Stores are under construction behind six of the tarps, Harris said. Meanwhile, the mall’s Piccadilly Cafeteria is “No. 1” in its chain for sales volume in Atlanta, according to Harris. And its Macy’s store is widely known for doing brisk business.

“Our customers have been extremely loyal,” Harris said. “We have not seen the significant decreases in mall traffic some other centers have.”

The rosy pictures are painted against a grim backdrop – one in which some surveys show that consumers plan to spend about the same or less than they did last year, won’t be splurging or buying on credit.

“Retailers are about to embark on the holiday season of the serious bargain hunter,” the National Retail Federation said in an Oct. 20 press release.

An NRF survey found that U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $682.74 on holiday-related shopping this year, a 3.2 percent drop from last year’s $705.01.

In its November issue, Consumer Reports unveiled results of its consumers’ spending practice survey that found that 86 percent of adults 18 years and older say they will buy only what they need and put less on credit cards.

Respondents to the NRF survey said they would be shopping for sales more often, using more coupons and putting up last year’s decorations. Many say they plan to buy more practical gifts, to buy joint gifts for kids or parents, and to give more handmade gifts.

To help lure customers early on Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving – the Mall at Stonecrest is offering patrons a buy one get one free gift card special. Customers who buy a $100 Mall at Stonecrest gift card will get a $50 gift card for free, while supplies last. The sale begins at 7 a.m.

Santa arrives at the Mall at Stonecrest at I-20 and Turner Hill Road in Lithonia and at the Gallery at South DeKalb at 1-20 and Candler Road in Decatur on Nov. 21. He makes it to North DeKalb Mall on Lawrenceville Highway in Decatur on Nov. 27.

The traditional beginning of the holiday shopping season, Black Friday is expected to be a much bigger deal for consumers this year than in recent years.

Sixteen percent of respondents to a survey conducted by the International Council of Shopping Centers said they expect to begin their holiday shopping that day. That’s up from a previous high of 13 percent in 2006 and a low of 10 percent in 2007, the ICSC said.

Some of the new retailers to the Gallery at South DeKalb are targeting Black Friday for getting their doors open.

Already a new eatery, Mikie’s Big Burger, opened this month in the mall. Among new vendors in the pipeline are a men’s clothing store, Mr. ATL, and an optical outfit called Fashion Optique.

Though the Gallery at South DeKalb generally requires at least a one-year lease for its store spaces, many malls nationwide are leasing to temporary stores, known as “pop ups.”

During the third quarter of this year, mall vacancies across the nation were at a 10-year high, New York real estate research firm Reis Inc. said.

North DeKalb Mall, which features anchors Macy’s and Burlington Coat Factory, has about six empty storefronts. Some of the mall’s vendors are pop ups that will be open just for the holidays or for a month or two, Burdge said.

With the help of pop ups, the Mall at Stonecrest is at 99 percent capacity, with the former Gap being the only vacant storefront, according to Bieler. A tenant is coming to the space formerly occupied by Called to Conquer bookstore, he said.

“We have temporaries in our vacant spaces like every other mall across the country,” Bieler said. “They come in for two, three or four months. Most are here for the holidays and if sales are favorable, they may stay longer.”

Swiss Leather, which carries coats, jackets and pocketbooks, on the mall’s upper level is one of the holiday tenants.

Pop ups can be a great opportunity for retailers in a seasonal business, says Leonardo McClarty, president of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce.

“I think it also could be good for young businesses,” McClarty said. “It may give them a chance to see almost on the fly if [the mall] is the best location for them, or whether it’s a storefront in a strip shopping center or a free-standing store.”

Black Friday is traditionally the day when retailers go into the black for the year, making more than 30 percent of their annual sales for the 25 shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

McClarty said customer service is what will give retailers an edge this shopping season.

“Of all the seasons, this is the one where customer service has got to be at the forefront,” McClarty said. “With the competition for sales … people will perhaps be ready to pay a little bit more or go out of their way a little bit if the treatment far exceeds their expectations.”

Bieler said the Mall at Stonecrest will lure holiday shoppers with entertainment, pictures with Santa and a “pleasant shopping experience.”

On Dec. 5, the Gallery at South DeKalb will host the ladies of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and the Mall at Stonecrest hosts Peter Facinelli who plays Dr. Carlisle Cullen in the hit book and movie “Twilight.”

“We are looking forward to a happy and healthy shopping season,” Bieler said.

Jennifer Ffrench Parker contributed to this report.