PITTSBURGH — Katie Thomas notices everything in her local mall: How clothes in the window display of an athleisure store switched from blues to browns overnight. How Nordstrom aisles are spaced so they seem quiet, but spawn swarms of people carrying the branded bags. How many teenagers — a gaggle of boys! — are here on a school night, actually shopping, loaded with bags.

As a teen, Thomas had worked and hung out at Ross Park Mall. Now it's where she does reconnaissance as a retail expert. Part anthropologist and part oracle, Thomas leads the Kearney Consumer Institute, a think tank inside a consulting firm used by some of the biggest retailers and brands. Her job is to divine what our shopping habits tell us about our economy and our future.

"Are you shopping today just for fun? Holiday

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