Sweet sound of ‘ka-ching’

Early bird specials on TVs and DVD players and hot toys like Bratz and Barbie wooed bargain hunters to the nation’s malls and stores before dawn Friday, ushering in the official opening of the holiday shopping season.

With the economy on the rebound and consumer confidence on the rise, merchants such as Sears, Roebuck and Co., office supplies retailer Staples, K-B Toys, and several major mall operators reported that traffic and business as of Friday afternoon were at least as healthy as a year ago. Furthermore, some retail executives said they were heartened that shoppers were buying regular-priced goods as well — a stark difference from last year, when consumers stuck to bargain items.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, said stores were busy Friday, but a spokesman declined to give details.

The big question is whether consumers will keep spending throughout the season. Last year, merchants reported strong Thanksgiving weekend sales, only to see consumers retrench, delaying the rest of their buying until the very end of the season in order to get the best bargains. That resulted in mediocre holiday sales overall.

"Sales and traffic on Friday are better than last year, and that’s encouraging," said Walter Loeb, an analyst with Loeb Associates in New York, who talked to store executives Friday. "There will be a slight slowdown, but in general I think the momentum will be better than a year ago."

When the doors of a Wal-Mart store in Marietta, Ga., opened at 6 a.m., hundreds of people jammed inside, some losing their shoes, others running at full speed with their carts to stake a claim to discounted items.

"It was an adrenaline rush," said Imbia Barry of Marietta, who lost her scarf in the crowd.

Barry, who arrived at 3:30 a.m., bought two HP Pavilion desktop computers with 17-inch monitors for $498 apiece, one for her grandmother and one for her daughter. She said they normally cost about $800. She also picked up a DVD player for her daughter for $29.96.

About 500 people stood in line early Friday outside a Best Buy in Coralville, Iowa. Bargains included $299 digital camcorders and $999.99 high-definition, flat screen TV monitors.

Matt Van Berkum of North English, Iowa, said he had been there since 3 a.m. and planned to buy a home theater system for his apartment for about $500. "I’ve never done this before, but I’m hoping to get a good deal," he said.

At the K-B Toy store at the King of Prussia mall in the Philadelphia area, Rogeline Jean, 23, of Philadelphia was toting two pairs of giant green electronic Hulk Hands and two train sets for her 5-year-old twin sons.

"At first, I was just grabbing stuff. It was overwhelming," Jean said. She and her two friends spent $700 total in the K-B Toy store, and each was dragging four giant bags toward their SUV in the parking lot.

In 2002, uncertainty over the prospect of war in Iraq and a spate of corporate layoffs spooked consumers. This year, the economy is on the rebound, with employment improving. Consumer confidence also is on rise.

In fact, many large retailers — particularly department stores and apparel merchants such as Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman — plan to be stingier with markdowns than in the past. Merchants are counting on consumers to be so pleased with new services and exclusive merchandise that they’ll be willing to pay full price. However, it’s a strategy that many analysts don’t think will last through the holiday shopping season.

DAN BATES / THE HERALD