Local Stores Start Filling Up Early

SALISBURY POST
By NATASHA ASHE

Salisburians took to the stores before daybreak Friday morning to participate in what is known as the biggest shopping day of the year for consumers.

Before sunrise the day after Thanksgiving, lines of anxious shoppers formed at merchants' doors, while others searched for parking while it was still dark - all lured by the many commercials and circulars that displayed discounted merchandise.

Wal-Mart prepared for customers by opening its doors at 6 a.m. to more than 200 people waiting in line to take advantage of its five-hour sale. The usual 24-hour store closed Wednesday night to prepare and reopened for the big day.

The large department store chain had close to 300 employees to accommodate the mad rush of shoppers scouting for bargains.

"This is actually the largest shopping day of the year for us," said Susette Small, assistant manager for Wal-Mart on Jake Alexander Boulevard. "Today has really been hectic and many people came out just as we expected, but I can't tell you how many we've seen. We've heard some of the shoppers had been outside since 4:15 this morning."

Nancy Sims of Spencer and her daughter Andrea Duboise braved the crowd at Wal-Mart early Friday morning to take advantage of the savings.

"We started out about 8 a.m. and I was able to buy everything I wanted today. We generally go to Concord, but decided to stay local," said Sims while pushing a buggy load of items out of the store, including a Tickle Me Ernie and a food processor. "We thought we would save money, but we still spent more than expected because there were so many good items on sale we couldn't pass up. I bought for myself and for my grand-kids."

Duboise got the Sega Genesis she was looking for at a discount, but vowed to never venture out again on the big shopping day.

"It's too many people pushing and to me, its not worth the sales. We just ended up bumping into people most of the time," Duboise said. "I'll just have to miss the sales next year. It's too many people out."

Items in demand at Wal-Mart were electronics including computers, TVs and VCRs, informed Small.

Most stores are displaying their best wares in obvious places where customers can see them and to get people in the mood to buy.

"We placed a lot of sale items out and stacked some in the aisles. We mass out really big so shoppers don't have to wait for us to stock," explained Small. "It's a lot of fun to see all the people who actually come out on this day."

Merchants have been optimistic about the holiday season, buoyed by the recent rise in consumer sentiment and sharp gains on Wall Street, much different from two months ago when many feared global and economic turmoil would dampen Christmas sales, according to a report from the Associated Press.

Overall, retailers nationwide expect to see about a 5 percent increase over last year's sales and many stores are running sales offering as much as 50 percent off, hoping shoppers won't wait until Christmas Eve to do their shopping.

David Zimmerman of Salisbury says no matter how inexpensive the merchandise is on the colossal shopping day, he always waits until the day before.

"The stores today are worse than they were during Christmas Eve last year or any other that I can remember," said Zimmerman, who admits he made four trips to Wal-Mart Friday morning before making his single purchase. "Today, I was just trying to find a particular item and wanted to compare prices between the stores because I go caught up in the sales. I wish we could do it all today, but we usually wait until the day before Christmas. I think more people come out here on this day than on Christmas Eve."

This year's hottest selling toy seems to be the talking Furby, a small plush animal that speaks in its own language, then in English.

Kay-Bee Toy Store at Salisbury Mall sold out of the fuzzy creature early Friday morning, while Wal-Mart had limited availability and handed out rainchecks for the hot commodity. Neither would guarantee a shipment before Christmas.

The mall toy store pulled up its gate at 6 a.m. to a line of people in the mall hallway that stretched past several stores. Employee Anthony Chance was posted out front to check customer receipts.

"The check-out line this morning was about a three-hour wait," said Chance, as he diligently checked out a woman who had an armload of plastic bags. "I'm just here making sure people got receipts for their purchases."

Salisburian Melissa Snipes wandered out of the toy store empty-handed with daughter Clara, 10, while her younger daughter Sarah, 6, had other ideas as she held on tight to a Teletubbie doll.

"I'm not doing big shopping or fighting this crowd. There are only a few bargains I'm willing to stand in line for - and it's not a Furby," Snipes said. "We were going to stay home today, but there's something in the air that lures you out here. This is part of the holiday that puts you in the mood."

Some smaller store operators prepared for the influx of customers in downtown Salisbury with more staffing, but said they aim for a more comfortable atmosphere, not the hustle and bustle of the major department stores.

"Today is not our busiest day of the year. Most people go to department stores the day after Thanksgiving rather than specialty stores like ours," explained Pam Hylton Coffield of The Stitchin' Post & Gifts on South Main Street. She said her biggest days are two weeks before Christmas and a week after. "But we did have a full house of employees. We try to create a relaxed atmosphere for Christmas shopping. We didn't open early to jam people in our doors and we don't cater to the mass crowds."