November 24. 2007
Bargains heat up Black Friday
Snow, cold fail to prevent customers from lining up at many Akron-area stores
By Jim Mackinnon
While Black Friday got off to a white start Friday morning in Summit County, the cold, sometimes snowy
weather didn't deter shoppers from standing in lines outside stores before the sun rose in search of low
prices.
The Toys R Us store in the Montrose area opened at 5 a.m., with shoppers still waiting outside at 7:45 a.m.
to be allowed inside.
Shoppers inside had to stand in line, too — the checkout line wound all the way around the store's interior.
Some shoppers said they were attracted by significant discounts on Bratz dolls.
And that's what got people out of bed in the wee hours of the day: the hunt for true bargains.
Retailers, facing a sales climate many experts say could be the worst in five years, dropped prices
dramatically on many products for at least a few hours Friday to entice customers. Black Friday is
considered the official kickoff for the Christmas holiday sales season.
''I started at 5. I actually ran to Macy's (at Summit Mall),'' Dana Lutz, a Brunswick resident, said as she
waited in the checkout line at Toys R Us shortly after 8 a.m. ''I actually was able to get most of the things I
came for here. . . . It's fun. I do it every year. If you don't mind the crowds, I think it is worth it.''
Many shoppers said they expected to spend as much money this year as last year.
Others said they expected to cut back on purchases.
Tom Christopher, a 44-year-old Fairlawn resident, said he and his wife decided to spend less. Because of
that, the Black Friday bargain sales were a big attraction, he said.
They have seven children, ages 5 to 21, plus three cars that now cost $50 to $60 apiece to fill with
gasoline.
''It adds up,'' Christopher said.
He said high energy prices probably will curtail consumer spending for the holidays and he thought he had
already detected a telltale sign.
''I think the (Black Friday) crowds are decent. But not compared to last year,'' Christopher said.
Recognizing a potentially tough shopping season ahead, stores began discounting weeks ago, with such
gimmicks as expanded hours.
While top luxury stores like Saks Fifth Avenue continue to do well, merchants that cater to middle- and
lower-income shoppers have suffered as consumers struggle with higher gas and food prices as well as a
slumping housing market.
There are no new, must-have holiday items like Apple Inc.'s iPod, though certain products are doing well.
At toy stores, Smart Cycle, from Mattel's Fisher-Price, and Jakks Pacific's EyeClops, ahand-held
device that magnifies objects, are among the early hits, though sales have been stymied by
concerns over Chinese-made toys. At clothing stores, dresses have been a strong seller, according
to Dana Telsey, chief executive of Telsey Advisory Group, an independent research firm.
In electronics, there are no new game consoles, though shortages of Nintendo's Wii, which made its debut
a year ago, have kept shoppers alert to whatever has dribbled in.
Pittsburgh resident Sarah Sheldon was shopping in the Montrose Toys R Us for her two children without
getting any sleep since Thanksgiving. The former Medina resident's shopping game plan started out
shortly after 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving at the Prime Outlets near Lodi.
''We were there 'til almost 4,'' she said. ''Then we drove to Wadsworth.''
After buying at the Kohl's, Target and Lowe's stores there, Sheldon moved on to Toys R Us, where she
was trying to finish at 8:30 a.m.
''I've gotten up early, but never anything like this, '' she said.
Sheldon wasn't sure when she would be able to get some sleep.
Would-be Santas also filled the aisles at the Toys R Us store near Chapel Hill Mall shortly after the doors
flew open at 5 a.m.
Carts crowded the aisles, and store associates were constantly flagged down to get boxes off high shelves
and answer the question, ''Where's the end of the line?''
Some shoppers abandoned carts — too hard to maneuver through crowds — and instead opted to push
towering piles of their finds along the store floor.
Portable DVD players for $19.99 were a hot buy, along with video games and anything High School
Musical.
By 6 a.m., the checkout line snaked down a side aisle and then looped into the main aisle around the
perimeter of the store. Hardy shoppers who weren't scared off by the daunting line waited an hour to check
out. (Some took one look and decided the bargains weren't worth the wait.)
At Target near Chapel Hill, shoppers crowded the toy aisles and the electronics department throughout the
morning.
The RadioShack store off Howe Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls sold out of some of its sales items, including
GPS devices, minutes after opening at 6 a.m. Clerks took orders for the sold-out gear, telling customers
they could still get the sale prices.
The scene was busy, but a bit less mobbed at the stores along state Route 59 in Stow. Parking lots were
filled by Kohl's and Target, where the checkout lines had disappeared by 8 a.m. A cashier, however, said
the lines were considerably longer just a couple of hours earlier, and people were waiting to get into the
store at least an hour before it opened.
Mostly female shoppers packed into a Bath and Body Works store, where they loaded up bags with
antibacterial soaps, lotions and other scented toiletries. Many had Starbucks coffee in hand to fuel their
shopping.
By 5 a.m., the wait to pay at the Kohl's in Jackson Township had grown to 90 minutes — the store opened
at 4 a.m. — as lines of shoppers clutching luggage, portable DVD players, toys and housewares circled the
store.
While Black Friday is expected by some analysts to be the busiest day of the season, it's not a predictor of
how retailers will fare in the season overall. In fact, the weekend accounts for only about 10 percent of
holiday sales. But it does set the tone, since what consumers see that day influences where they will shop
for the rest of the year.
Last year, retailers had a good start during the Thanksgiving weekend, but many stores struggled in
December, and a shopping surge just before and after Christmas wasn't enough to make up for lost sales.
This year, analysts expect sales gains to be the weakest in five years. The Washington-based National
Retail Federation predicted that holiday sales will be up 4 percent for the combined November and
December period, the slowest growth since a 1.3 percent rise in 2002.
Holiday sales rose 4.6 percent in 2006, and growth has averaged 4.8 percent over the last decade.
But at least anecdotally, things got off to a strong start in many places in Northeast Ohio.
Summit Mall's parking lot was packed, with all stores opening by 6 a.m. — some as early as 5.
''We've seen a steady stream of shoppers since 6 o'clock,'' said Kate Anderson, director of marketing at
Summit Mall. ''The most significant thing is seeing people with bags, big fat bags.''
Among those at Summit Mall carrying filled shopping bags were friends Mary Alexander and Natalie
Shenigo, both of Akron, who were out buying for their children.
''We got here at 7:15,'' said Alexander, who has 4-year-old triplets and a 6-month-old.
Shenigo, who has a 4-year-old and 3-year-old, said she and her husband ''went overboard'' last year
purchasing gifts. ''We're trying to cut back and get to the meaning of the season,'' she said.
Beacon Journal staff writer Cheryl Powell, Features Editor Mitch McKenney and the Associated Press
contributed to this story.
Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon @thebeaconjournal.com.
While Black Friday got off to a white start Friday morning in Summit County, the cold, sometimes snowy
weather didn't deter shoppers from standing in lines outside stores before the sun rose in search of low
prices.
The Toys R Us store in the Montrose area opened at 5 a.m., with shoppers still waiting outside at 7:45 a.m.
to be allowed inside.
Shoppers inside had to stand in line, too — the checkout line wound all the way around the store's interior.
Some shoppers said they were attracted by significant discounts on Bratz dolls.
And that's what got people out of bed in the wee hours of the day: the hunt for true bargains.
Retailers, facing a sales climate many experts say could be the worst in five years, dropped prices
dramatically on many products for at least a few hours Friday to entice customers. Black Friday is
considered the official kickoff for the Christmas holiday sales season.
''I started at 5. I actually ran to Macy's (at Summit Mall),'' Dana Lutz, a Brunswick resident, said as she
waited in the checkout line at Toys R Us shortly after 8 a.m. ''I actually was able to get most of the things I
came for here. . . . It's fun. I do it every year. If you don't mind the crowds, I think it is worth it.''
Many shoppers said they expected to spend as much money this year as last year.
Others said they expected to cut back on purchases.
Tom Christopher, a 44-year-old Fairlawn resident, said he and his wife decided to spend less. Because of
that, the Black Friday bargain sales were a big attraction, he said.
They have seven children, ages 5 to 21, plus three cars that now cost $50 to $60 apiece to fill with
gasoline.
''It adds up,'' Christopher said.
He said high energy prices probably will curtail consumer spending for the holidays and he thought he had
already detected a telltale sign.
''I think the (Black Friday) crowds are decent. But not compared to last year,'' Christopher said.
Recognizing a potentially tough shopping season ahead, stores began discounting weeks ago, with such
gimmicks as expanded hours.
While top luxury stores like Saks Fifth Avenue continue to do well, merchants that cater to middle- and
lower-income shoppers have suffered as consumers struggle with higher gas and food prices as well as a
slumping housing market.
There are no new, must-have holiday items like Apple Inc.'s iPod, though certain products are doing well.
At toy stores, Smart Cycle, from Mattel's Fisher-Price, and Jakks Pacific's EyeClops, ahand-held device
that magnifies objects, are among the early hits, though sales have been stymied by concerns over
Chinese-made toys. At clothing stores, dresses have been a strong seller, according to Dana Telsey, chief
executive of Telsey Advisory Group, an independent research firm.
In electronics, there are no new game consoles, though shortages of Nintendo's Wii, which made its debut
a year ago, have kept shoppers alert to whatever has dribbled in.
Pittsburgh resident Sarah Sheldon was shopping in the Montrose Toys R Us for her two children without
getting any sleep since Thanksgiving. The former Medina resident's shopping game plan started out
shortly after 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving at the Prime Outlets near Lodi.
''We were there 'til almost 4,'' she said. ''Then we drove to Wadsworth.''
After buying at the Kohl's, Target and Lowe's stores there, Sheldon moved on to Toys R Us, where she
was trying to finish at 8:30 a.m.
''I've gotten up early, but never anything like this, '' she said.
Sheldon wasn't sure when she would be able to get some sleep.
Would-be Santas also filled the aisles at the Toys R Us store near Chapel Hill Mall shortly after the doors
flew open at 5 a.m.
Carts crowded the aisles, and store associates were constantly flagged down to get boxes off high shelves
and answer the question, ''Where's the end of the line?''
Some shoppers abandoned carts — too hard to maneuver through crowds — and instead opted to push
towering piles of their finds along the store floor.
Portable DVD players for $19.99 were a hot buy, along with video games and anything High School
Musical.
By 6 a.m., the checkout line snaked down a side aisle and then looped into the main aisle around the
perimeter of the store. Hardy shoppers who weren't scared off by the daunting line waited an hour to check
out. (Some took one look and decided the bargains weren't worth the wait.)
At Target near Chapel Hill, shoppers crowded the toy aisles and the electronics department throughout the
morning.
The RadioShack store off Howe Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls sold out of some of its sales items, including
GPS devices, minutes after opening at 6 a.m. Clerks took orders for the sold-out gear, telling customers
they could still get the sale prices.
The scene was busy, but a bit less mobbed at the stores along state Route 59 in Stow. Parking lots were
filled by Kohl's and Target, where the checkout lines had disappeared by 8 a.m. A cashier, however, said
the lines were considerably longer just a couple of hours earlier, and people were waiting to get into the
store at least an hour before it opened.
Mostly female shoppers packed into a Bath and Body Works store, where they loaded up bags with
antibacterial soaps, lotions and other scented toiletries. Many had Starbucks coffee in hand to fuel their
shopping.
By 5 a.m., the wait to pay at the Kohl's in Jackson Township had grown to 90 minutes — the store opened
at 4 a.m. — as lines of shoppers clutching luggage, portable DVD players, toys and housewares circled the
store.
While Black Friday is expected by some analysts to be the busiest day of the season, it's not a predictor of
how retailers will fare in the season overall. In fact, the weekend accounts for only about 10 percent of
holiday sales. But it does set the tone, since what consumers see that day influences where they will shop
for the rest of the year.
Last year, retailers had a good start during the Thanksgiving weekend, but many stores struggled in
December, and a shopping surge just before and after Christmas wasn't enough to make up for lost sales.
This year, analysts expect sales gains to be the weakest in five years. The Washington-based National
Retail Federation predicted that holiday sales will be up 4 percent for the combined November and
December period, the slowest growth since a 1.3 percent rise in 2002.
Holiday sales rose 4.6 percent in 2006, and growth has averaged 4.8 percent over the last decade.
But at least anecdotally, things got off to a strong start in many places in Northeast Ohio.
Summit Mall's parking lot was packed, with all stores opening by 6 a.m. — some as early as 5.
''We've seen a steady stream of shoppers since 6 o'clock,'' said Kate Anderson, director of marketing at
Summit Mall. ''The most significant thing is seeing people with bags, big fat bags.''
Among those at Summit Mall carrying filled shopping bags were friends Mary Alexander and Natalie
Shenigo, both of Akron, who were out buying for their children.
''We got here at 7:15,'' said Alexander, who has 4-year-old triplets and a 6-month-old.
Shenigo, who has a 4-year-old and 3-year-old, said she and her husband ''went overboard'' last year
purchasing gifts. ''We're trying to cut back and get to the meaning of the season,'' she said.