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Shoppers kick off Christmas shopping season in South Florida
(Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 28--Opening at midnight on Black Friday may have paid off for management and retailers at the Sawgrass Mills outlet mall in Sunrise.
Swarms of diehard shoppers descended on the center Thursday night in search of doorbuster bargains. Lines outside BrandsMart USA wrapped around the mall's perimeter. Many people were bundled up in blankets and sweaters as they braved temperatures in the low 50s.
Occasional boisterous cries of "you can't cut in line" and finger-pointing to identify the line-crashers to security and police were common before the mall opened.
Lynde and Loxxie Dailey of Plantation lined up from 6:45 p.m. Thursday to secure a chance at BrandsMart's electronics deals. The mother and daughter wanted a Samsung digital camera for $99.
"The prices were really good. That's why we've been standing here for so many hours," Lynde Dailey said.
Budget-conscious shoppers also spent much of Thanksgiving Day queueing up at Best Buy stores and other retailers across South Florida in search of deals.
Despite the enthusiasm here, experts say this could be the worst holiday shopping season in decades because of the reeling economy. Many consumers, out of work or worried about their jobs in 2009, are determined to spend less.
It wouldn't surprise Dan de Grandpre if Black Friday nationwide turns into a dud. The founder of Dealnews.com, an Alabama company that tracks retail promotions, said cash-strapped retailers have offered savings during the last few weeks normally reserved for Black Friday .
If sales today and this weekend disappoint, expect deep discounts in the next four weeks, especially on toys and clothing, de Grandpre said. And don't be surprised if some retailers start holding going-out-of-business sales in December.
"That would be pretty much unprecedented," de Grandpre said. "This seems to be a make-or-break weekend for many retailers."
There was no sign of a slowdown, however, at the Best Buy near the Sawgrass Mills. Hundreds of shoppers were on hand at the 5 a.m. opening, smiling and giving weary cheers as the doors opened.
They'd waited for hours, the line growing overnight from a faithful few to an orderly but increasingly anxious gaggle of bargain hunters.
Staff let them in a group at a time to avoid any panic rush, but no one seemed to be complaining.
Though they only walked out with a small handful of items (mostly games for the Nintendo Wii system), it was definitely worth the wait, said Bob Letman and his son, Justin, of Plantation.
"We have two other reconnaissance teams," said a grinning Bob Letman, who was headed from Best Buy to Circuit City as other family members were inside Sawgrass Mills and at the nearby Wal-Mart.during the past few weeks
By 6 a.m., the wait outside the door at Best Buy was down to 15 minutes.
Not to be outdone, the Pep Boys auto parts store next door was taking in customers well before Best Buy opened.
Similar crowds were reported at other stores in the area.
To see more of the Sun Sentinel or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sun-sentinel.com/.
Copyright (c) 2008, Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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