Black Friday frenzy

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, November 21, 2006

EVERETT – Freshly rested from their Thanksgiving feasts, nearly a third of Americans will head out to their favorite shopping spots on Black Friday, according to a new report.

One in seven consumers polled by Consumer Reports say they will line up in the wee hours for early season savings.

“Crowded stores won’t deter determined consumers from shopping this year,” said Tod Marks, senior editor for the nonprofit publication.

But will the sales be worth waking early?

In recent years, shoppers have waited for last-minute discounts from stores desperate for sales. This year, however, the predicted boost in sales might come more from early season bargains.

Holiday sales could jump by as much as 7 percent for the November-to-January period, according to an annual holiday survey released by Deloitte &Touche USA LLP.

In an attempt to start off on a strong note, many retailers have promised discounts early in the holiday shopping season. Wal-Mart, in particular, has promised to be “most aggressive” on prices after seeing mixed success with other strategies the past few years, said Don Gehr, chief investment officer at Bellevue’s Coldstream Capital Management.

“That’s going to put some pressure on other retailers to do the same,” Gehr said. He said Wal-Mart’s discounts extend even to big-ticket items such as plasma TVs.

At the Everett Mall, spokeswoman Julie Tennyson speculated that the closing of Mervyn’s locations across the state might affect when other department stores pitch their greatest offers. Mervyn’s has already started liquidating its inventory in shops in Washington with clearance prices that could force other department stores to match them and discount early.

“We’re looking for a healthy sales season,” Tennyson said.

Since its renovations, the Alderwood mall has seen an increase in sales throughout the season, not just the day after Thanksgiving or right before Christmas, said Erika Koehler Stafford, marketing spokeswoman for the mall.

“We do have some merchants that are offering some great discounts early on,” including Sears, JCPenney and Macy’s, Koehler Stafford said.

Malls and department stores haven’t fared as well as big-box retailers in the past few years. And the discounters probably will outdraw the malls again, Gehr said, as 70 percent of shoppers across the nation said they plan to go to the big-box stores this season in a National Retail Federation survey. However, 61 percent said they’ll also patronize department stores, up several points from recent years.

Of those surveyed locally by Deloitte, 60 percent of Seattle area shoppers will shop at a discount department store this season, and 49 percent will shop at a traditional department store.

The convenience of Internet shopping will lure a greater number of Seattle-area shoppers compared to shoppers nationwide. Nearly 60 percent of local consumers who participated in the Deloitte poll plan to use the Internet to shop for holiday gifts. Across the country, about 47 percent of shoppers say they plan to buy gifts online, according to the National Federation of Retailers.

“Online shopping continues to convert more readily into online buying, and ‘online pre-shopping’ – researching items and comparing prices online before heading to a store – is becoming far more pervasive,” said Lynnette Frank, a partner of Deloitte’s Consumer Business practice in Seattle.

Gift cards are expected to continue to be the top gift purchase, with nearly six out of every 10 local consumers planning to buy at least one gift card.

Despite the emphasis on the kickoff weekend of the season, some say the best deals may still pop up later.

“It’s always better to wait,” said Scott Smallman, senior vice president of investments for Wedbush Morgan Securities in Seattle. “You run a risk when it comes to selection, but if you’re a bit open-minded about what you get, it’s good to wait.”

Mall hours

* Alderwood mall plans to expand its hours this holiday season. The mall will be open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. the day after Thanksgiving. From Dec. 8 through Dec. 23, the mall will be open until 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and until 10 p.m. on Sundays.

* Everett Mall will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday. Its holiday hours include staying open until 11 p.m. the week of Christmas, with the exception of Christmas Eve.

* Many of the stores at Seattle Premium Outlets will open at midnight with the rest opening at 7 a.m. Friday. The outlet closes at 10 p.m. Friday. To see which stores will be open early, go to the mall’s Web site at www.premium outlets.com/outlets/ sales.asp?id=71.

Black what?

Black Friday is less ominous than it sounds. It refers to the hope that shoppers will bring retailers bottom lines into the black.