Jenny Buzzell (center) laughs while joking with her mother, Doris Buzzell (left), and Ena Kavara as they shop for Jenny's Buzzell's two children at the Central Park Target. The trio started at 4 a.m. yesterday at JCPenney. PHOTOS BY PETER CIHELKA/THE FREE LANCE-STAR View More Images from this story View and ORDER more photos.

Black Friday busy despite gas prices, market woes

BY BILL FREEHLING

Date published: 11/24/2007

BY BILL FREEHLING

Gas costs $3 a gallon, the real-estate and stock markets are struggling, and food prices have risen.

But you'd never know it if you visited the Spotsylania Towne Centre yesterday.

Consumers flocked to the mall and other Fredericksburg-area shopping centers, as Black Friday ushered in the start of the holiday shopping period.

Because of where Thanksgiving fell this year, the pre-Christmas shopping period is the longest possible. But many people didn't waste any time checking off their holiday gift lists.

"This place is packed," Stafford County resident Lori Kasey said as she lugged numerous shopping bags outside Macy's. She'd bought some Heelys shoes and another item that was a secret.

Kasey said it took her 20 minutes to find a parking spot. People started parking on makeshift places on the grass shoulder.

Inside the mall, nearly all the seats were filled by weary shoppers taking a break from the stores. Children lined up to take their turns sitting on Santa Claus' lap.

Shoppers were lured in by retail sales offering large discounts. The doors opened early yesterday at the mall--JCPenney at 4 a.m. and the rest at 5 a.m. Area Kohl's stores also opened at 4 a.m.

Big-box retailers weren't the only game in town. Caroline Street was bustling yesterday in downtown Fredericksburg, as shoppers strolled by windows and street lamps adorned with Christmas decorations.

"It's just that personal touch," Fredericksburg Downtown Retail Marketing President Michael Whitehead said about shopping on Caroline Street. "It just feels like the holidays."

ShopperTrak, a national organization that gathers shopping data, was predicting this week that Black Friday would be the busiest day of the holiday season.

The National Retail Federation put out a news release yesterday stating that retail promotions seemed to do the trick, drawing out bargain shoppers. The organization said some of the best promotions were on electronics, jewelry, clothing and toys.

Online retailers are expected to offer similar deals this Monday, which is dubbed Cyber Monday.

Whether the shopping momentum from yesterday continues is still up in the air. The National Retail Federation is projecting sales of $474.5 billion this holiday season, up 4 percent from last year. That would be the lowest holiday sales growth since 2002.

Spotsylvania Towne Centre Property Manager Mark Gentry was a little more optimistic: "I think it's going to be a very strong year."

If yesterday is any indication, he could be right.

Fredericksburg resident Shirley Chinn, 82, turned out to the mall yesterday for the first time in her life on Black Friday. Chinn said it will also probably be the last.

"It's too congested," she said.

55.1 million: Number of adult Americans who will go shopping this weekend. 81.3 million: Number of adult Americans who won't shop this weekend (rest of the population listed as a "Maybe"). $456.2 billion: U.S. holiday retail sales in 2006. $474.5 billion: Estimated U.S. holiday sales in 2007. That would be a 4 percent growth, the lowest in five years. 19.6 percent: Holiday sales as a percentage of overall U.S. retail sales in 2006. Source: National Retail Federation

Date published: 11/24/2007