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By Jim Mackinnon
Beacon Journal business writer
Published on Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008
Santina Robinson is looking forward to her new store's first Black Friday sales.
Robinson, manager of the Charlotte Russe clothing store at Summit Mall, is not so keen about having to get up at 3:30 Friday morning so that she makes it to the store by 5 a.m. and then open an hour later. Still, the extra-early wake-up is about the only downside to what she expects will be a fun time.
''It definitely will be a big day,'' Robinson said.
The Charlotte Russe store — one of 487 nationwide — opened at the Fairlawn mall in August. Robinson, who has 14 years of retail experience, said she knows the important role the day after Thanksgiving plays in keeping viable retail operations.
Black Friday got its name ''because most companies look for that day to come out of the red and into the black,'' Robinson said.
More and more, retailers are working hard to attract shoppers with sales specials tied to early morning hours of operation.
Black Friday, while important economically, often isn't the busiest shopping day of the year — that honor typically belongs to one of the days on the weekend before Christmas. But lots of people
will be keeping an eye on how many shoppers are out and buying on Friday as rising unemployment and other signs strongly indicate the United States is in recession.
A new survey conducted on behalf of the National Retail Federation trade group suggests that Christmas holiday sales will grow a paltry 2.2 percent this year compared to 2007, bringing total sales nationally to $470.4 billion. If the projection holds, the sales increase will be the lowest since 2002 when actual holiday sales growth was 1.3 percent.
Consumers shell-shocked earlier this year by $4-a-gallon gasoline might feel better about spending on gifts with gasoline prices at $2 and below. In the Akron area, the average price for a gallon of gas on Monday was $1.71, down substantially from $3.02 a year ago and $2.48 a gallon just last month, according to the latest AAA pricing survey.
A Consumer Reports poll suggests that despite the bleak economy, more Americans plan to shop on Black Friday this year than last.
Expect big crowds
About 26 percent of consumers plan to shop the day after Thanksgiving, up from 21 percent in 2007, according to the magazine.
''No matter how dismal the economy, you can count on the stores being filled to capacity,'' Tod Marks, senior project editor of Consumer Reports Tightwad Tod blog, said in prepared remarks.
But the big question is how much consumers are going to cut back, he said.
Dan de Grandtre, chief executive officer of the Web site http://www.dealnews.comthat tracks retail sales and bargains, expects consumers will be able to continue to find bargains throughout the holiday shopping season from retailers desperate to generate sales. The Alabama-based Web site's 30 employees aggregate sale prices from numerous stores and chains and post them online.
''We are seeing Black Friday-like deals the last four weeks,'' de Grandtre said. ''We're seeing tremendous bargains.''
High-end deals
And it's not just middle and lower-end businesses that are continuously cutting prices, either, he said. For instance, upscale retailer Saks Fifth Avenue just increased discounts on some items to 70 percent from 40 percent a couple days ago, he said.
''The big difference between this year and last year is, the economy is in the tank,'' de Grandtre said.
Evidence that retailers will continue to cut prices is that they began cutting prices so early, he said.
Price cuts will continue, especially if Black Friday sales disappoint, de Grandtre said.
''Foot traffic [on Friday] will be high,'' he said. But stores need to convert those people into sales, he said.
Anyone expecting to hit the early morning sales needs to check the weather forecast.
As of Tuesday, forecasters called for significant cloud cover Thanksgiving night. That will turn to mostly cloudy and a chance of flurries into Friday morning and then on-and-off snow by nighttime. Friday temperatures were expected to range from a low of 28 degrees to a high of 38.
Lodi Station Outlets, near Interstate 71 in Burbank, will be among the few retail operations to open on Thanksgiving — the outdoor mall will open at 11 p.m.
''You see a lot of families come out,'' said Lisa Chapman, general manager of the outlet center.
The late holiday opening proved successful in previous years, she said. The event attracts people who'd rather shop for bargains late at night rather then get up early in the morning, she said.
The head of marketing for Westfield Belden Village had a different name for Black Friday.
''We like to call it Green Friday around here,'' said Aron Kitzmiller. ''It's a positive color. You have green exchanging hands.''
Early starts
Many of the mall's stores will open at 5 a.m., he said. ''Everyone will be open by 7.''
Kitzmiller said he's expecting to see large crowds starting on Friday and overall holiday sales up 2 to 3 percent, in line with the National Retail Federation projections.
Kate Anderson, head of marketing for Summit Mall, said many stores will open at 5 a.m., with all but one store, Dillard's, open by 6. Dillard's plans an 8 a.m. opening. The mall plans to offer free coffee from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., special seating areas, and supply-restricted shopping gifts.
''Shoppers are looking to have fun and be entertained,'' Anderson said.
As for Robinson at Charlotte Russe, she expects the current economic conditions will help bring people into stores looking for bargains. She's already noticed prospective customers, particularly parents and grandparents, coming into her store checking for items that younger family members found online.
Robinson also noted that her work will mean she won't be able to do any Black Friday shopping on her own.
But she's not worried about missing out on any bargains for her two daughters, ages 9 and 2.
Robinson said her mom will be up and out the door at 4 a.m. to do some holiday shopping on her behalf.
Beacon Journal business writer Betty Lin-Fisher contributed to this report. Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com
Santina Robinson is looking forward to her new store's first Black Friday sales.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Tallmadge, OH
Posted 07:39 AM, 11/26/2008
People have little money for Christmas gifts this year. It doesn't matter how early they open or how deep their discounts are, people will not be buying like they have in the past. Remember to use CASH only to avoid those January credit card blues. Have a nice holiday !!!
Posted 07:57 AM, 11/26/2008
I agree with you oldmangrump ... cash only ... that is my philosophy ... in my opinion, Christmas is too commercialized ... I am going to buy local and fair trade this year ... in that way I am helping out somewhere ...
Posted 08:14 AM, 11/26/2008
I agree with you oldmangrump ... I use cash only ... also I am buying local and fair trade this year ...
Akron, OH
Posted 12:22 PM, 11/26/2008
Cash on the barrelhead! No sense rewarding the credit card companies (banks) largely responsible for this mess.
Put Grump in charge of the bail-outs, too.
Dalton Ave, Henderson, NV
Posted 01:54 PM, 11/26/2008
Or you could simply be responsible... take the free cash rewards credit card companies are willing to give you... keep your cash in the bank to earn interest for a month... and simply pay off your cards in full.
- Uncle Ed
