North Dakota retailers say they have no hard numbers yet, but they liked the look of the crowds in stores over the Christmas holidays.

"We just feel everything is going really well," Russ Hanson, the president of the North Dakota Retailers Association, said Monday. "It's just been real solid, steady shopping. The economy is solid. We didn't get any bad weather."

The retail association had predicted a 4 percent increase in holiday sales over last year. In Fargo, West Acres mall General Manager Rusty Papachek said it could be higher.

"I honestly think that we'll be closer to the 5 percent for the holiday season when it's all done," he said.

The day after Christmas this year fell on Sunday, meaning most North Dakota stores could not open for business until noon.

"It didn't seem to affect traffic," Papachek said. "A lot of it is the sales."

He attributes the shopping increase to a healthy economy, a good mood and Fargo's growth.

"Fargo is more of a steady growth," he said. "We don't see the highest highs and lowest lows. We just keep chugging along at a 4 percent to 6 percent increase."

Hanson said it will be a couple of weeks before he has firm numbers from retailers on holiday shopping.

"The thing that complicates things a little more is that more people are using gift cards," he said.

Papachek said gift card sales were up about 15 percent over last year, and the cards have some advantages. "One size fits all," he said.