I detest the holiday season because my beautiful mall is tainted by the hordes of tourists, but from them I have learned a great deal. It is impossible to avoid holiday shoppers altogether. It just doesn't happen. But, there are a few times when the traffic slows down. Most malls open at 9 AM for the holiday rush, but not all the stores are ready by that time.
Department stores are always the first and last stores open and able stores.
By 10 AM, the salespeople have awaken and gotten into the groove of working. This is a generally slow time because people don't want to start their morning with crowds and salespeople. During the week, most people are working, and Sunday is a resting day, and people usually attend church at this time. Saturdays are busy every second. The people taking long lunch hours are rushing, people with the rest of the day off are as slow as snails, and people are awake and somewhat alert.