HOLIDAY GIFTING UP A BIT OVER '01 SALES EXPECTED TO RISE 3 PERCENT.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

Angelenos won't be afraid to indulge for the holidays, according to figures released Thursday by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

Though the retail scene has been challenging this year, with a particularly disappointing back-to-school season, chief economist Jack Kyser expects local sales to rise 3 percent over the previous year. Plunging consumer confidence, an unpredictable stock market and a long string of bad domestic and international news would normally add up to a poor year, he said, but shoppers have yet to let the gloom envelope them.

``People are concerned about the economy, but they just don't stop spoiling themselves,'' he said at a holiday shopping panel at the Glendale Galleria. ``In Southern California, sales are holding up. We've got our fingers crossed for a good season.''

The mall's senior director of marketing Annette Bethers said 8.5 million visitors will spill through the massive mall between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, on par with the previous year. Other shopping centers expressed confidence that Kyser's predictions would prove true.

``The Santa Clarita area's a little different than the national norm since the community is growing so steadily,'' said Charlie Gill, general manager for the Valencia Town Center. ``The economic environment is strong, and our customers have maintained support for our retailers. I feel very positive for the holiday season. We've had our ups and downs, but the American consumer's been saving some money to spend at Christmas.''

In a separate study released earlier this week, the International Mass Retail Association said consumers expect to spend an average $863 on gifts, flat with last year's spending. IMRA spokeswoman Edie Clark noted that shoppers often underestimate their actual spending, however, sometimes by as much as 30 percent.

``Historically, people spend more,'' she said. ``They tend to be more generous. They find things they hadn't expected or they think of people who they hadn't planned on buying for.''

Not all shoppers were ready to launch big sprees, however. Joyce Ablen, a recruiter for IHOP Corp., has already started her shopping. Wandering the Galleria on her lunch break, the Burbank resident hadn't made any big purchases yet, but wants to get a move on things to finish her buying early. In light of the economy, she plans on spending between $300 and $500 on her gifts.

``It's better than last year,'' she said. ``Last year, I was unemployed, but still want to be conservative.''