Shoppers charge into the holiday season

Kevin Rademacher

Friday, Nov. 26, 2004 | 10:55 a.m.

With the smell of turkey still hanging in the air, the most dedicated holiday shoppers were up early this morning to take advantage of sales and a day off to get first shot at local malls.

When Angela Anton arrived at the Galleria at Sunset mall at 5 a.m. today there were already long lines for several stores.

"When I saw those lines this morning, I said, 'Oh, my god. Who does this? Why am I here?' " she said.

It was Anton's first shot at the shopping day known by many as "Black Friday."

"This is the first year I've ever had the day after Thanksgiving off," she said. "My mom and my boyfriend always do. They said, 'Oh, now you get to do it too.' "

At 5:45 a.m., nearly an hour and a half after Michael Leahy arrived at the Galleria, he was headed to the parking lot with three large shopping bags, but he was far from done.

"I'm just taking these out to the car," he said. "I'll be right back."

Leahy said he hoped to be done by noon and then avoid the malls altogether until after Christmas.

"That's the plan every year," he said. "Get it done on Black Friday and be done, about $2,000 later."

Darlene Powell stood in line at KB Toys for two hours and emerged from the crowded store dragging a large bag of toys. She said the discounts made the wait a good investment.

"It was worth it," she said.

Elizabeth Lin, who was standing over a bench stacked with bags, agreed.

"Every year I do this ... The sales are definitely worth it," she said, adding that she took advantage of the opportunity to leave her children at home with their father.

Gay Myers and her husband, George, also were making their first day-after-Thanksgiving trip to the mall.

"It's the first time I've done it," she aid. "The line was long, but it was worth it."

Myers added that, like many of her shopping counterparts, she hoped it would be the last trip to the mall before Dec. 25.

George Myers, however, was skeptical.

"I guarantee we'll be back seven times before Christmas," he said, laughing.

By 8 a.m. the parking lot at the Galleria was filling up quickly, along with those of neighboring shopping centers on Sunset Road, Stephanie Street and Marks Street.

Some Las Vegas shoppers got an even earlier start, forgoing the Thanksgiving tradition and heading to some malls on Thursday.

At the Las Vegas Premium Outlets, one of several malls open Thanksgiving day, shoppers, many of whom hail from other parts of the world, took advantage of holiday sales, snapping up bargain-priced name-brand items.

For Janice and Albert Johnsey, visiting Las Vegas from Wales, it was just another day on the calendar, although they were surprised at the number of stores open on a national holiday.

"Everything is shut down," Albert Johnsey, a steel contractor, said. "This is what we do right before Christmas."

The Johnseys arrived at the outlet mall about 1 p.m. Thursday, after a taxi driver recommended the center to the couple, who wanted to do some pre-Christmas shopping.

Tom Natali, who sells novelty signs and flashing jewelry at his Blinkies and More kiosk, relies on customers like the Johnseys who pass by his stand at the far edge of the mall.

"We're doing quite well," he said. "It's been very good."

This is the second year the mall has been open Thanksgiving day, a tactic partly to lure tourists, said Alexandra Goranson, marketing manager for the Las Vegas Premium Outlets and the Las Vegas Outlet Center on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Goranson, citing a corporate policy, would not say how many people the companies estimate walk through their properties on a given Thanksgiving, but said it is "better than our usual Thursday."

The day after Thanksgiving, however, remains important.

"We still look to huge numbers of people the day after," Goranson said. "We open up sooner than usual. It gives them (shoppers and tourists) something extra to do."

The shopping frenzy was not unexpected.

Scott Muelrath, general manager of the Galleria, said stores in his mall have been up over 2003 by nearly 20 percent in terms of sales volume.

"This is just a continuation of that," he said.

Mark Vitner, senior economist for Wachovia Corp., predicted that, despite higher energy costs and some lackluster consumer confidence readings, job growth and higher U.S. income levels should produce better-than-expected holiday sales.

The North Carolina-based economist also said in a recent report that retailers should get a lift from strong fashion trends and other high-profile products that will lure shoppers into U.S. malls. Toys and "electronic gadgets" are expected to be key factors in retailers' success.

"Experts are betting on Rapunzel Barbie to be the must-have item of the season, though video games should continue to be a popular gift item, as they have been for several years running," Vitner said in an economic commentary. "Electronic gadgets will also continue to be popular sellers this year, with digital cameras, music players and camera phones particularly high on Santa's shopping list."

The National Retail Federation has forecast a 4.5 percent increase in holiday sales over 2003. That would have consumers spending $220 billion this holiday season.

"Stronger-than-expected job growth and a sharp drop in oil prices are setting the stage for solid holiday growth," Rosalind Wells, the federation's chief economist, said. "Consumers are demonstrating their resiliency and continuing to reinforce our holiday forecast."

Accounting giant Deliotte & Touche USA LLP said its annual holiday shopping survey indicated that those shoppers having a difficult time choosing a gift have an acceptable refuge this year in the purchase of gift cards.

For the first time since their inception, gift cards will replace clothes as the gift purchase of choice. This year, 64 percent of consumers said they intended to buy gift cards, up from 60 percent in 2003, and double the percentage of consumers that will give cash this holiday season, the survey said.

The trend could muddy the water for retailers.

"With the increasing popularity of gift cards, retailers will be well served by launching gift card redemption campaigns, as they are unable to report the sale until the card is redeemed," said Tara Weiner, vice chairman and national managing partner of Deloitte's Consumer Business Industries practice.

Overall, 71 percent of households surveyed by Deloitte said they are likely to spend the same or more this year than last, compared with 67 percent in 2003 and 64 percent in 2002.