Big shopping day ahead

November 24, 2005

Kristen Seine\For the Frontiersman

For many, it's a tradition. To awake early Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and plunge headlong into the Christmas shopping season. Armed with lists, flyers, and to-go mugs of coffee, they hit the stores before most people are even awake. The stores count on them.

&#8220Oh yeah, it's our biggest shopping day of the year,” said Marlene Munsell, store manager at Wal-Mart, the Valley's retail giant. The store will open an hour early Friday, at 5 a.m., she said, and is offering several &#8220blitz” deals. &#8220But you've got to be an early bird to get it.”

Munsell said several items were already advertised in flyers as special &#8220day-after” sales, but competition (on the local and national level) has reduced those prices even further. For example, she said a DVD/VCR combo advertised as $79 on sale will be available from 5-11 a.m. Friday at $48. She also said an HP Pavilion notebook computer was advertised at $488 but will sell during those hours at $378, and a portable DVD/CD player was advertised at $79.86 but will sell during the &#8220blitz” for $68. &#8220The customer is really going to be the winner,” she said. Other big items she said included a Garth Brooks limited boxed set of six CDs that's exclusive to Wal-Mart for $25 and assorted DVDs that will go for $3.44 each.

Munsell said the store has added some extra help for the holiday season and is gearing up for an incredibly busy day. &#8220We're ready to rock 'n' roll,” she said.

Sears operations manager Louise Tremblay said the store will open two hours early, at 6 a.m., and it will pay to be one of the first few through the doors. &#8220We're going to be handing out $10 gift certificates to the first 200 customers,” she said.

&#8220It's a huge day for Sears,” she said, so the store personnel will be dressed in holiday garb, and they'll be offering coffee and cookies to early birds and pop, cookies and balloons to customers later in the day.

Tremblay said the store is offering dozens of deals, especially for the 6-11 a.m. crowd. &#8220When people come into the store, we'll be handing them a 48-page ad with all of our specials,” she said. &#8220That tells you something there.” Deals will include 50 percent off items like family fleece and active wear, selected tools, Arrow and Dockers men's shirts and several kids' clothes. All sleepwear and robes for women will be 40 percent off during the early-opening special.

Fred Meyer will also open at 5 a.m., said store director Bill Birky, and will be offering an eight-hour sale, featuring &#8220very, very hot prices on some items that are very hot right now.” Birky said the day after Thanksgiving is &#8220a huge day for us, absolutely.” He said &#8220it's known that we always have our sock sale,” and the store will have its customary array of socks for half off.

However, he was not allowed by company policy to reveal details on other special deals for the big shopping day. &#8220We'll have some great deals on DVDs and such, and some good percentages off video game software and home items and apparel,” he said, &#8220but the exact details will be made available to customers at 5 a.m. Friday.”

Walter Hinkle, store manager at Gottschalks, said his store is opening at 6 a.m. - four hours early - for shoppers on Friday, and is offering 80 &#8220doorbusters.” Friday is one of the company's biggest shopping days, although not necessarily the best (&#8220It's one of the top five,” he said.), adding &#8220We're expecting a big day. Specials include an MP3 player for $19.99, an eighth-carat diamond bracelet for $34.99 and women's cashmere sweaters for $39.99.

Other &#8220screamin' good deals” he listed were a three-piece Lafayette luggage set for $29.99 (with a $10 rebate), 40 percent off men's Dearfoam slippers and a 71/2-foot pre-lit Christmas tree for $89.99.

JoAnn's is also opening an hour early, at 6 a.m., said store manager Sheri Allison, and &#8220doorbuster” deals will include flannels for 96 cents a yard, some yarns for $2.50 a skein and Rowenta irons for $49.96 (normally $99.50). Customers on their mailing list also received coupons for ten to 50 percent off certain items. Other deals include pre-lit does and stags at $14.96 (usually $29.99) and silk poinsettias for $4.96 each (usually $19.99 each).

All I Saw Cookware isn't opening early, said co-owner David Nyberg, but the store will have all of its Christmas items out on display, including placemats, tablecloths and napkins, plus edible goodies like specialty hot chocolates and Christmas teas, holiday candies and Wassail, a hot cider-type drink. &#8220We'll have all the stuff out that only comes out at Christmas,” he said. Store hours are from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Meta Rose Square will also be offering free gift wrapping (for patrons only) on Friday, plus Nyberg said there will be homemade cookies and samples of wassail on hand for customers to taste.

Mimi's Closet, also in the Meta Rose Square, will be open regular hours, but will be offering special deals on ladies and girls clothing. &#8220Party dresses, evening wear, things for the holidays,” said owner Susan Nyberg. &#8220Plus we're having a buy-one-get-the-second-dress-off sale. We have some really cute things for children now, too.” The store opens at 11 a.m.

Men are not left out of the big shopping day. Outdoors & More is offering huge deals, said owner Jerry Holbrook. The store will be open for its regular hours Friday and Saturday, from 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and will offer half off all snowboards, ski packages, sleds and &#8220every pair of Smith goggles in the store,” he said. Other deals include windproof fleece for $39.99 (normally $80) and half off on certain fillet and hunting knife sets.

Home Depot is opening an hour early at 6 a.m., said store manager Troy Wolfinbarger, and is offering refreshments for those shopping at &#8220Wasilla's big boy toy store.” He was not allowed to give out details, but said the store is offering several special deals on household items, tools, appliances and &#8220lots of little pick-me-ups.” He added, &#8220We invite people to break out of the usual mold of mass merchants and find special deals” not necessarily found at big-box stores.

For those looking for gifts with local flavor, Home Sweet Home Marketplace and the Blue Bonnet Bakery will open at 4:30 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving. &#8220That's half an hour earlier than most anyplace else in Wasilla,” they noted. The artist co-op, located on Main Street across from the post office in Wasilla, will feature special offers and discounts of up to 20 percent off by some vendors.

&#8220This early-bird opening should be a fun way to start the ‘after-Thanksgiving Shopping Frenzy'” their note stated, and it's one of the few places early-bird shoppers can grab a warm slice of bread or a scone and a cup of espresso or tea before a busy day of shopping.

Kristen Seine is a free-lance writer.