Shoppers flocked to Gilroy’s outlets and department stores
during the early morning hours of Black Friday – the day after
Thanksgiving and the busiest shopping day of the year – despite 40
degree temperatures and swarming traffic.
GILROY
Shoppers flocked to Gilroy’s outlets and department stores during the early morning hours of Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving and the busiest shopping day of the year – despite 40 degree temperatures and swarming traffic.
Hoping to knock out most of their Christmas shopping in one fell swoop, Gilroy resident, Judy Janisch, and her sister, Brenda Jacinto, have turned their post-Thanksgiving ritual into a tradition, waking up early to look at the ads, trekking out to the stores and braving the cold, and holding a place in line while the other sister runs back to grab a forgotten item. They worked together as a team to accomplish their holiday shopping goals.
The two sisters were among the crowd of consumers taking advantage of stores’ slashed prices and special offers. They began their day at 3 a.m., readying themselves for the task at hand by devising a game plan. Kohl’s was first, then Target. After scoping out the ads, Janisch and Jacinto joined the line outside Kohl’s that wrapped around the store a few minutes before 4 a.m.
“We make a day out of it … we’ll probably be home by 3 … and spend the afternoon wrapping gifts,” Janisch said.
After an hour of collecting their soon-to-be gifts at Kohl’s, the sisters joined one of the two lines that wound down the aisles to the far back walls of the store. They waited for an hour. Small children waited with various degrees of patience at their parents’ sides.
“I’m surprised to see little kids out here,” Janisch said. Her 8-year-old daughter, Miranda, and 5-year-old son Gannon, were still asleep in their beds at that early hour.
Janisch’s bag was filled with her finds – a talking cash register for her children that was originally priced at $59.99 and was marked down to $24.99, a 60 percent discount. A vacuum cleaner, various stuffed animals and toys, and a pair of Converse-brand shoes rounded out her purchases for a grand total of $225.
Kohl’s District Manager, Jason Bittner, said several portable electronic items, such as DVD players and global positioning systems, as the hot items this year. V. Smile by VTech, a toy Bittner likened to a Nintendo for younger children, is a popular item on wish lists.
This year, analysts expect sales gains to be the weakest in five years. Washington-based National Retail Federation predicted that total holiday sales will be up 4 percent for the combined November and December period, the slowest growth since a 1.3 percent rise in 2002.
Although Kohl’s and Target opened their doors at 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., respectively, the Gilroy Premium Outlets welcomed shoppers at midnight. Kohl’s shopper Stephanie Patterson, 30, of San Jose stayed up all night to shop at the outlets before making her way to Kohl’s and reported that it “was bad over there.” She estimated about 300 people waiting to enter the Coach outlet store and said that U.S. 101 was backed up “at least five miles before the exit.” Once she finally made it to the outlets, parking was scarce. However, the discounts at the Waterford and Banana Republic stores were “worth it.” She didn’t witness any squabbles over merchandise and said that most people kept to themselves because they “were in the zone.”
Some of the department and outlet store traffic that Patterson witnessed overflowed into downtown Gilroy. Sue’s Coffee Roasting Company at the corner of Fifth and Monterey Streets saw an influx of customers. “It picked up quite a bit today,” said Todd Scheuermann, a barista at Sue’s. “I’ve seen more people in here than is usual for this shift.”
Other smaller businesses experienced high customer volumes as well. Violet, a women’s clothing boutique in downtown Morgan Hill opened at 10 a.m. and expected more customers later in the day, possibly after shoppers made the rounds at larger retailers, said a sales associate. Violet, too, offered discounts similar to those at larger stores.
Battaglia Ranch began its Christmas tree sales Friday and Alison McNabb, cashier, said that a steady stream of families filtered through the tree farm throughout the day. Selecting a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving is a ritual for many families, she said, and business seems to be up from last year.
Janisch and Jacinto didn’t plan on shopping the outlets or buying any Christmas trees, but moved on to Target when they were finished at Kohl’s. They grabbed shopping carts and dove into the fray. The front of the store was calm. The toy and electronic departments were a different story. A wall of shoppers clogged the main aisle. Only a few minutes after opening, front displays were empty of the $549 Olevia 37-inch high definition TVs that were advertised.
“You really have to be in the mood for this,” Janisch said as she picked out clothes in the men’s department. At the end of the Target shopping spree, Janisch and Jacinto agreed that a Starbucks run was imminent.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
