[November 27, 2009]

Retailers ready for Black Friday rush

Nov 26, 2009 (Leader-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Area retailers are bracing for a wave customers on Black Friday as consumers on the mend from a lengthy recession search for bargains.

J.C. Penney in Eau Claire will have all 172 of its employees working on a day that got its name because it's traditionally the time when retailers become profitable for the year. The store will open at 3:30 a.m., a half-hour earlier than previously advertised.

Shoppers will be on the hunt for sales and quality, said store manager Rory McColgan, who's been at the location since Nov. 1. He previously was an assistant store manager in the Detroit area.

"There's an opportunity during the holidays to pick up some of the business we might have lost in the past," he said.

According to the National Retail Federation's 2009 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $682.74 on holiday-related shopping. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they would shop for sales more often, and 42 percent said they would use more coupons -- both increases from a year ago.

"While last holiday season was filled with chaotic confusion, adjusting to uncertainty has now become routine for many Americans," Tracy Mullin, NRF president and chief executive officer, said in a news release. "This holiday season will be a bit of a dance between retailers and shoppers, with each group feeling the other out to understand how things have changed and how they must adapt." Early indicators are that many consumers are sticking to the basics, McColgan said, as outerwear and housewares have been in demand.

"Things are picking up," said Sylvia Hedge, general manager at Sears in Eau Claire. "We've seen an increase in interest in big-ticket items such as appliances and tools." Hedge, who's been with the company since 1977, said there are strategies to handling lines of shoppers the morning of Black Friday. Staff members will hand out coupons to those in line starting at 3 a.m., an hour before Sears opens.

Hedge also makes sure employees are spread out inside Sears because crowds can make it nearly impossible to get from one end of the store to another if assistance is required.

Sears is offering more than 599 "doorbuster" items, which Hedge said probably is a record.

"Customers are looking for bargains," she said. "They're browsing the Internet and looking around to make sure they get the best price." The NRF expects holiday sales to decline 1 percent to $437.6 billion, far short of last year's 3.4 percent drop.

Traffic at Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire since June has increased from last year.

"Retailers are advertising much more than clearance items and are stocked full for the holiday season," said Sherman Drury, the mall's general manager. "This will be one of the best holiday shopping seasons for consumers in some time. The (money) in the consumer's pocket, wallet or purse will go farther at Oakwood Mall than it has in recent years." Jeff Nestor, general manager at the Menards west side Eau Claire location, said many consumers have gotten a head start on the holiday shopping season. The Eau Claire-based home-improvement retailer, which also has an east side store in the city, has added a "Cordless Christmas" display this year that promotes energy-efficient outdoor displays.

"With all the great weather we've had, all the outdoor Christmas items are going like crazy," he said.

Nestor said Menards is "offering the same amount of sales items but better value for its customers." The retailer has added gift items that appeal to a broader base in becoming more of "one-stop shop," he said. The stores open at 6 a.m., and every cash register will be open, Nestor said.

Demand will not subside after this weekend for many retailers. Cyber Monday, the upcoming ceremonial kickoff to the online holiday shopping season, is expected to draw an increase of special promotions (87 percent of retailers) and consumers, according to the NRF. Online retailers such as Amazon.com and brick-and-mortar shops have gotten an early start on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

"Web (retailers) have woken up," Fiona Dias, executive vice president of strategy and marketing for Pennsylvania-based GSI Commerce, told The Associated Press. GSI, which has a call center in Eau Claire, runs Web sites and manages other Internet functions for about 200 retailers.

"What Amazon.com has realized is that if they wait till Monday, consumers will be broke. ... For online retailers to wait until Cyber Monday, they are going to be out of the game." Despite the growth of online commerce, however, Black Friday remains a crucial time for traditional retailers. It is expected to be the No. 1 day in 2009 for foot traffic and sales, according to ShopperTrak, which monitors such statistics.

"Nobody gets off on Black Friday," Hedge said with a smile regarding staffing levels.

McColgan agreed.

"(Thanksgiving) will probably be my last day off until Dec. 24," he said.

Marlaire can be reached at 833-9215, 800-236-7077 or liam.marlaire@ecpc.com.

By The Numbers 134 million: Number of U.S. consumers predicted to shop on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, up from 128 million in 2008.

26: Percentage of U.S. households that plan to shop on Black Friday, up from 24 percent two years ago.

17.6 percent: Retail's share of Wisconsin's total employment.

87.1: Percentage of retailers who will have a special promotion in place for Cyber Monday.

Source: National Retail Federation, International Council of Shopping Centers To see more of the Leader-Telegram or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.leadertelegram.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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