Area retailers ready for Black Friday

For shoppers looking for after-Thanksgiving bargains, wading through crowds during the early-morning shopping hours during Black Friday is a ritual.

Hattiesburg resident Stephanie Hughes said she's gearing up for Black Friday deals, and is awaiting newspaper advertisements to map her way to better deals.
"I will probably spend the same amount this year as I did last year," she said. "I usually do my shopping the day after Thanksgiving and then I'll shop a little every week and buy here and there."
Local retailers anticipate shoppers will come out early and provide a better economic picture this year.
Retail store Old Navy isn't waiting for Black Friday to bring shoppers in. Instead the store plans to open from noon-7 p.m. Thanksgiving Day for what it's calling "Gobblepalooza - three days of rockin' deals," said Joni Caratti-Raper, the store's district manager.
"We're a family-oriented company and we really thought this would be a great time for families to come out and shop when they might not be able to come out on a Friday," she said.
Shoppers on Thursday can register for a $200 shopping spree and on Friday, get a free Lego Rock Band game with a $20 purchase while supplies last.
Johnny Maloney, co-owner of electronics retailer Cowboy Maloney, said business has been great going into the holiday season.
The store provided after-Thanksgiving prices before the holiday and Maloney said sales were better than expected.
Maloney also said the closing of two friendly competitors - Rex and Circuit City - has been an added bonus. He expects business to remain strong after Thanksgiving through Christmas.
He said certain items sell well, and he said the store keeps inventories stocked so people can come in, get what they need and continue on their normal routines.
"The high end and ultra, ultra high end brands aren't moving well but the meat and potatoes priced items are moving well," he said. "We've been in Hattiesburg for 31 years and we're looking forward to a positive and upbeat Christmas season."
Places like Target will be gearing up for shoppers like Hughes.

Cynthia Dixon, guest service representative at Target said the store will open its doors at 5 a.m. on Black Friday, and then starting Sunday, will stay open an extra hour - until 11 p.m. nightly.
"You have people nearly running through here to get stuff," Dixon said. "I was up here where you can see everything."
Dixon said the economic downturn last summer hurt holiday season sales in 2008.
"We're expecting better this year," Dixon said. "We're seeing a little better now. Not too much in the morning, but in the evening, we tend to get busy, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Those are our busiest days."
Officials at nearby Books-A-Million said things are going well heading into the holidays.
"Everything's been going good," manager Bobby Jewel said.
During the holiday shopping season, Jewel said the store deepens its stock to meet increased demand.
"Obviously," Jewel said, "we always get a little bit more quantity. It's pretty much the same. We just get more quantity."
Holiday shopping became the focus of small businesses in the city of Petal roughly eight years ago, according to business officials here.
The city's chamber of commerce launched a marketing campaign called "Santa Shops Petal First," said Deborah Reynolds, Petal Area Chamber of Commerce president. She said store owners were encouraged to get a jump on the holiday season by offering sales the weekend before Thanksgiving.
"It's to kick off the holiday season, the stores are decorated, and get people to realize that there's, as of Friday, only 35 days left to shop before Christmas," she said.
Retail businesses offered specials this Friday and Saturday with some sales carrying over for the entire holiday season.
Cynthia Holland, owner of Tropical Glamour, said her store holds a "VIP" sale Thursday night before Shop Petal First starts. She said regular customers are invited to the store for first dibs on 40 percent off sales.
"I've seen this year that people are shopping earlier than normal perhaps because they're looking for the real bargains," she said. "People want quality at a really good price."Holland has been in business in Petal for 11 years. She said consumer confidence was down last year and has seen slight movement toward improvement.

"People are going to buy but they aren't spending as much on tickets compared to last year," she said. "They're going to buy for their loved ones, but they're going to be looking for bargains."
Reynolds spent the past week delivering signs to local businesses promoting Shop Petal First including You Name It Embroidery, located in the Eastbrook Shopping Center adjacent to Walmart.
Chelle Webb, co-owner of the business, said monogrammed items have become a trend for gifts for family and friends.
"It's caught on and it's getting bigger," she said. "I don't know if it's a Southern thing, but we've had folks come down from up north and they say they don't have anything like this up there."
You Name It offered a color-coordinated sale this past weekend. On Friday, all items that were at least half green were 25 percent off, and on Saturday, all items that were at least half red were 25 percent off.
Webb said Shop Petal First helped get business flowing into the holiday season in 2008.
"It's a great marketing strategy," she said. "The fact that we do it the weekend before Thanksgiving is excellent and a boost for Petal businesses ... it starts our Christmas season off to a great start."
American staff writers Tim Doherty, La Tonya Frelix and Ben Piper contributed to this report.
"I've seen this year that people are shopping earlier than normal perhaps because they're looking for the real bargains. People want quality at a really good price."
- Cynthia Holland, Owner of Tropical Glamour