Holiday shopping season in full swing today

Friday, November 26, 2010

Open up the checkbook, pull out that bankroll and get ready to swipe that card, it's Black Friday! The day that has come to be known as the biggest retail shopping day of the year is finally here and there are mixed opinions as to what kind of year it will be for shoppers and retailers. The day after Thanksgiving has been known as Black Friday since the mid-'60s and the term is thought to have originated in Philadelphia.

Now it is a term so common that most people know what it refers to whether they go shopping on that day or not. It has become a day of bargains and sales and unusual store openings, hours and promotions.

The Sears Roebuck store at 1909 East Austin Boulevard, Nevada, opened its doors for business at 4 a.m., today.

"We have lots of hot buys," said owner and manager Steve Knowles. Big ticket items like front-loading washers and dryers are selling well, said Knowles, but quantities are limited and when the limited items are gone that's it, according to Knowles.

There are bargains throughout the store. Some items are discounted as much as 65 percent, and there has been a lot of buyer interest, but "it's hard to tell at this point" how this year's sales will compare to last year's, said Knowles.

Things aren't so uncertain at the Wal-Mart Supercenter just down the road. Manager Gary DeCocq said, " so far so good." He is very encouraged by the sales results the store has had up to this point. "I think we're going to have a great season," DeCocq said. "It seems as though the economy has loosened up a little bit."

DeCocq said sales began at midnight and electronics went on sale at 5 a. m. Sales will continue "while supplies last," said DeCocq. Sales seem to going well across the board, he said; and no one item is selling best.

Nationwide, the top selling items appear to be in the clothing department, according to a Consumer Reports survey. The survey also lists gift cards and electronic items like e-book readers and video games as popular gift choices.

The leading gift choices for children are a mixed bag of traditional favorites and new items. The ever popular "Barbie" is still high on the list as are other dolls and trucks and LEGO's, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. Some of the newer big sellers are figures from the "Iron Man" and "Toy Story" movies.

Shoppers should use a bit of caution this time of year. There will be a lot of pedestrians on the streets and more traffic on the roadways. Pay particular attention to traffic in parking lots and watch how purchased items are stored.

Merchandise purchased and left in cars should be stored in the trunk or at least out of plain view, according to Nevada Interim Police Chief Casey Crain. Keep vehicles locked. Crain said that more than 75 percent of vehicle incidents occur when the vehicle is not locked or has the keys left in it.

Crain said there is no significant trend or increase in crime this time of year in the community, but shoppers should be vigilant about security. "They're looking for something quick and easy," Crain said, and if a vehicle is locked and nothing is in plain view, they will move on to the next car. Crain also said the department will have extra officers on duty during Black Friday and the shopping season "to try and keep everybody safe."

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