Black Friday shoppers out in force, but cautious

Shoppers, who had snapped their wallets shut since September, flocked to stores before dawn today to grab deals on everything from TVs to toys on the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, feared to be the weakest in decades.

It was clear that despite the crowds that showed up for the discounts, shoppers' worries about the economy -- massive layoffs, tightening credit and dwindling retirement accounts -- tempered buying.

Retailers extended their hours, some opening at midnight, and offered deals that promised to be deeper and wider than even the deep discounts that shoppers found throughout November.

Cook County

By the time sunlight hit the parking lots of Woodfield Shopping Center in Schaumburg Friday morning, eager shoppers had already swept up early deals on one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

The first 200 mall shoppers got $50 gift cards. Handout began at 2 a.m.; they were snapped up in minutes.

The mall's doors officially opened at 5 a.m., but some stores, such as J.C. Penney, let in customers at 4 a.m.

Shoppers streamed out of Penney's into the main mall a little before 5 a.m., ready to grasp early-morning deals despite the faltering economy.

While some said they weren't too concerned about watching their funds this holiday season, several made the early morning trip to the mall just so they could save some cash while shopping for presents.

Sister and brother Niki, 20, and Niral Talati, 22, of Streamwood, aren't cutting back on shopping at all this year.

With a group of friends, they were ready to hit up Express, XXI Forever and Charlotte Russe ­- pretty much the regular hot spots for shoppers their age.

"The economy really isn't making a difference for me," said Niki, who agreed with her friends that she would be shopping mostly for herself Friday.

Pat Mueller, of Chicago, and Peggy Mueller, of Minneapolis, figured this was the year for adventurous shopping.

The duo fought the crowds to get into Penney's.

"I'm not sure why people ran into the store at 4 a.m., but we ran with them," Pat said.

Peggy said this is definitely the year for smaller presents, which she hoped to find Friday.

"I'm just keeping my wallet closer to my body," Pat said.

It wasn't even 5 a.m. and Nancy Godfryt of Kildeer already had a pile of presents stacked up in front of her as she waited in the checkout line at Penney's.

She'd already picked up a slow-cooker for her son's girlfriend and two blenders. She also had a plan of attack: next up, she was hitting Macy's and Nordstrom department stores.

Godfryt isn't spending less this year. She and her husband have steady jobs, and there's no indication that they're going anywhere.

"As long as I have my job, I'll be fine," she said.

Along with a dozen or so others, Grace Orton of Schaumburg eagerly waited outside KB Toys while the manager explained some of the deals before sliding open the screen at 5 a.m.

Orton has major business to take care of: She has the task of buying presents for her nine grandchildren.

"I'm going a little bit lower, buying less presents and more sale items," she said.

Andrea Kramka, a 21-year-old from Marengo, has two jobs this year as compared to the one she worked last year at this time.

Even so, she and her sister Laura, 17, will likely spend half of what they did last year on presents.

"It's worse this year," she said of her income.

Of course, the prospect of spending less doesn't mean the two would skip Black Friday deals, perhaps spending a little on themselves at Express, where they waited with more than 50 people for the associates to unlock the gates.

Aaron Sinder, of Carpentersville, sitting on the floor with his 7-year-old son Noah, was an anomaly in the crowd of teenage girls and their mothers waiting for Forever XXI to open. He was waiting for his daughter to come by and do some shopping.

He plans to cut back this year, and taking advantage of early-bird specials was one way to do that.

"That's why we're here at 5 in the morning," he said of his first-ever Black Friday experience. "I'm a lot more conservative with my money."

Donning matching shirts that proclaim "Christmas without power shopping ain't worth celebrating," mother Ruth Martin and daughter Elizabeth Martin of Arlington Heights embarked on what for them now is an annual tradition.

The women started shopping together at Woodfield the day after Thanksgiving three years ago.

About an hour in, they've already dropped off some purchases at their car and are ready for round two.

Although they're cutting back a little over fears that spending too much wouldn't be smart, the holiday season isn't the best time to be stingy, they said.

"It's still Christmas," Ruth said.

Meeting up with her friend's daughter, who is surrounded by Penney's shopping bags, Claudia Simonian of Libertyville is ready to tackle more stores.

She's been budgeting for Christmas shopping all year, and she's not holding back now that she's saved up the money.

"I usually wait until Christmas to buy the things we need," she said.

Some of Patty Wilson's relatives who live out of state shouldn't expect a present this year.

"I usually buy for everybody," the Hoffman Estates woman said. "But I'm spending less."

She estimates she'll spend 25 percent less this year.

She was shopping with her daughter Erin Wilson, her friend Julie Schroeder of Hoffman Estates and her daughter Jessica and friend Aubrey Templeman, 16, also of Hoffman Estates.

"We're looking for the sales, the bargains," she said. "We'll shop as long as we have money."

Shatul Shah started his morning at Best Buy, but the line stretched around the store and items like the cheap laptop he'd hoped to buy were gone within minutes. So he joined his wife Kshama at the Apple store at Woodfield to get $100 off a laptop there.

Without the discount, they would have taken a pass.

"It's a need versus a want kind of thing this year," Kshama said.

"We were waiting for a sale," Shatul added.

Lake County

If the 5 a.m. rush Friday at pretty much any area Wal-Mart, Best Buy or neighborhood shopping mall is any measure of consumer confidence, the U.S. economy may just pull through.

Despite fears of a national financial downturn, thousands of Lake County shoppers would not give up traditional Black Friday shopping sprees, offering area retailers hope of recovery from slumping sales.

Still, many consumers say they have adjusted spending habits, are shopping more at one-stop-shop stores, such as Wal-Mart, and buying fewer Christmas presents.

"Just trying to squeeze the dollar ... there's not that much there right now," Hugh Collins of Libertyville said while carting around a home entertainment center, heater, and a chimney vacuum cleaner at the Vernon Hills Wal-Mart. "I didn't used to come to Wal-Mart all the time, but now, I'm coming more often."

Collins said his family isn't spending as much on presents this year because they can't afford to buy for all the children in the family, including four kids and five grandkids.

"It's just too hard," he said. "We all kind of pitch in when it comes to Christmas now. I think everyone's probably doing the same thing."

That means pooling gifts and a potluck-style Christmas dinner.

Shoppers flocking to stores like Wal-Mart on Friday was only partly due to the economy. The other major draw was competitive pricing on large-screen television sets and the latest electronic gadgetry.

"I actually bought three different TVs," said Julie Lamb of Lincolnshire outside the Vernon Hills Wal-Mart checkout counter. "We went with the flat screens because the prices were really nice."

Lamb said she didn't buy what she really wanted for Christmas - a laptop computer and a home surround system - because she didn't need them.

Harsh economic times also didn't scare off dozens of early-bird shoppers who camped out at Best Buy from Thursday evening in hopes of landing a killer deal.

"I'm not doing anything differently," said Blanca Silva, a Round Lake Realtor. Her shopping basket at the Mundelein Best Buy contained a Nintendo DS, Guitar Hero and a few video games for her grandkids.

Many of her family members are struggling without jobs, and she's selling fewer homes, but Silva said she still plans to spend the usual $1,000 on presents.

"I usually save up for Christmas and I don't spend more than my budget," said Silva. "I never splurged and I always just did what we can afford and that's it."

It wasn't even 5 a.m. and Nancy Godfryt of Kildeer already had a pile of presents in front of her as she waited in the checkout line at Penney's in Woodfield.

She'd already picked up a slow-cooker for her son's girlfriend and two blenders.

Godfryt isn't spending less this year. She and her husband have steady jobs, and there's no indication that they're going anywhere.

"As long as I have my job, I'll be fine," she said.

Early-bird shoppers at Gurnee Mills mall were treated to a little excitement including a scuffle at 1:30 a.m. between some teens. And, one pregnant woman's hopes of maximizing on the Gurnee Toys "R" Us offering up to 60 percent discounts from 5 to 10 a.m. was cut short when she went into labor about 7 a.m.

Meanwhile, some shoppers at higher-end stores at Westfield Hawthorn in Vernon Hills said the deals were not as enticing as those touted in advertisements.

"I think some of these stores don't give as much of a discount as they should," Adelaide Schubel of Long Grove said while navigating the crowds at Westfield and clutching shopping bags in each hand. "Of all years, this year in particular, I think there should be something (discounted) on pretty much everything. I have some concerns, definitely, but I don't think the answer is not to shop at all."

DuPage County

Some started camping out as early as 2:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Others rose at 3:30 a.m. Friday to arrive at stores the moment their doors opened.

And many opted to start shopping at a more leisurely hour, like 8 a.m., to score holiday gift deals.

Despite the sluggish economy, thousands of dedicated bargain hunters descended on DuPage County malls for Black Friday (so named because it's the day retailers can turn a profit, and go in the black, for the year).

But with the country's sagging economy in mind, many aimed to get the most bang for their buck by shopping primarily at electronics stores and midrange price retailers.

Some, like Jeremy Galloway of Chicago, also took other money-saving measures, like shopping in DuPage to avoid the higher taxes in his hometown.

"We are trying to be more conservative this year," he said. "But I think that's a trend that's been happening with people even before this recession."

His mom, Gayle Galloway of Wheaton, said her holiday budget won't change. Instead, she's trying to get more bang for her buck by shopping at retailers that offer the best discounts.

Galloway and her son started shopping at 8 a.m. Friday for children's toys and other gifts at stores like Kohl's, Toys 'R' Us and Macys.

"Our strategy is to go anywhere we have a coupon," Gail Galloway said. "But I'll probably spend just as much as ever this year."

Retailers, it seemed, anticipated the trend and adjusted their hours accordingly. At the upscale Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, which opened at 6 a.m., stores like Disney and Sears opted to open even an hour earlier for door-buster deals on popular items like toys, electronics, sleepwear and bath products.

High-end stores like Neiman Marcus, however, didn't start business until the mall's normal opening time at 10 a.m., keeping foot traffic sparse at its end of the mall corridor.

Oakbrook Center spokeswoman Suzanne Beres said the different hours reflect different customer bases.

"(Neiman Marcus) shopper are a little different in what they're looking at in regards to discounts and promotional items," she said.

Like the Galloways, Chicago residents Claudia Deltoo and Daisy Nunez also kept to or exceeded their budgets, but looked for the best bargains. Both women woke at 3:30 a.m. to begin shopping when stores opened their doors and, by 9 a.m., both had more bags from stores like Victoria's Secret, which also opened at 5 a.m., than they could carry.

Nunez said they were looking for deals so they didn't have to skimp on gift quality.

"Our families like brand names," she said.

This year stores that typically generate strong business on Black Friday continued their tradition. Best Buy in Downers Grove lured customers with its usual post-Thanksgiving discounts on popular items such as laptops, widescreen plasma TVs and game consoles. Manger Doug Jacobsen said 600 people were in line when the store opened at 6 a.m., some of whom arrived at 2:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

"We did not change our expectations this year because of the economy and today has completely met our expectations," Jacobsen said.

The day barely phased many family owned businesses. In downtown Naperville, which is filled with a mix of chain stores and independent shops, store owners said Black Friday isn't make-or-break for them.

Gotskind's owner David Gotskind said Friday was "mildly disappointing," but said it can't really predict how well his store will fare this season.

At Anderson's Bookshop, owner Trace Anderson said his shop's biggest day of the year is actually the Saturday before Christmas Day.

"We never adjust our hours or get really busy today," he said. "(Economically) it is going to be an interesting season, but we won't know which way it all blows until after Christmas Eve."

Fox Valley

By now, it's routine for Russell Getz.

As his daughters, granddaughters, and wife buzzed around Spring Hill Mall Friday snapping up deals, the Sleepy Hollow resident patiently waited in a lounge chair, eyeing a growing amount of shopping bags.

"We've got it down," Getz said. "They shop, I sleep, I guard the bags."

Despite a sagging economy, serious day-after-Thanksgiving shopping continued for the Getz family, as well as for thousands of other area residents at the West Dundee mall.

Spring Hill opened its doors at 4 a.m., with many retailers featuring across-the-board sales.

"Traffic has been steady," Spring Hill Marketing Director Amy Prew said. "A lot of retailers seem to be on track to meet their goals. It's looking very positive."

While Prew said stores did not seem to be offering more promotions than usual this Black Friday, "We're seeing some retailers give a heavier discount ... a few more door busters."

Women's retailer Charlotte Russe featured 25 percent off everything in the store; Aeropostale offered discounts of 50 to 70 percent. Macy's offered shoppers coupons that yielded an additional 10 to 15 percent off total bills.

Steve and Barry's, which is leaving the mall in January, saw large numbers of shoppers taking advantage of storewide clearance sales.

Loves Park resident Kathy Grossen and her daughter Logan Marie, 11, said they did much of their holiday shopping at the discount clothing retailer.

According to a preliminary Black Friday shopping survey conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation, as many as 128 million people will shop this holiday weekend. The number is down slightly from the 135 million people who said they would or may shop over Black Friday weekend last year.

The parking lot at Spring Hill Mall was packed at 8 a.m. Friday, but by afternoon there were a few dozen open spots.

"It's a little less crowded than in years past," said Keith Wolf, of Elgin, who makes the after-Thanksgiving trip a yearly tradition.

Elizabeth Moriarty, of Plainfield, came to shop with her sister, Dorothy Rossi of Algonquin.

Motivation for malling stemmed more out of "something to do with the kids" than holiday savings, Moriarty said.

"We've seen some really good sales today, though I bet we'll see bigger ones before Christmas."

Some shoppers, like 21-year-old Andrea Kramka, of Marengo, are taking on an extra job or two to pay for holiday gifts.

Even so, she and her sister Laura, 17, will likely spend half of what they did last year on presents.

"It's worse this year," she said of her income.

Of course, the prospect of spending less doesn't mean the two would skip Black Friday deals at Woodfield Shopping Center in Schaumburg, perhaps spending a little on themselves at Express, where they waited with more than 50 people for the associates to unlock the gates.

Aaron Sinder, of Carpentersville, sat outside Woodfield's Forever XXI with his son Noah, an anomaly in the crowd of teenage girls and their mothers readying to enter the store. He was waiting for his daughter to come by and do some shopping.

Sinder said he plans to cut back this year, and taking advantage of early-bird specials was one way to do that.

"That's why we're here at five in the morning," he said of his first-ever Black Friday experience. "I'm a lot more conservative with my money."

Black Friday received its name because it historically was the day when a surge of shoppers helped stores break into profitability for the full year. But this year, with rampant promotions of up to 70 percent throughout the month including even at luxury stores like Saks Fifth Avenue amid a deteriorating economy, the power of this landmark day for the retail industry could be fading.

Tri-Cities

The economic slump didn't keep suburban shoppers away from the stores Friday, but with many scaling back on purchases or buying at discount, it's hard to predict how merchants will ultimately fare.

By midday at the Geneva Commons, steady streams of shoppers went in and out of stores, but could still find parking spots without too much difficulty.

Christine Mueller of Yorkville, who had arrived at 9 a.m., said that she and her husband will be cutting back on spending this year.

"My husband has his own business and he's not working steady," Mueller said. The couple has two children and two grandchildren. "But I'm looking for bargains and I'm finding them. There are a lot of things on sale that I didn't think would be on sale."

Dexter Ithal, of North Aurora, said he was tagging along with his wife and two daughters who were "buying out the place, I'm sure."

He said he doesn't feel a need to cut back on shopping this year, but the family made changes last year by giving more handmade gifts. They also made donations to charity in the name of a family member. He expects this year to be the same.

Barbara Kirchner of Oregon, Ill. and her daughter Amanda Kirchner of Rockford make it a family tradition to shop at Geneva Commons the day after Thanksgiving. Neither one is scaling back on buying presents this year.

"I probably have more people to buy for this year," Amanda said. "I'll be buying more gift cards."

In downtown Geneva, shoppers on the sidewalks strolled leisurely in full sunlight and moderate temperatures, while drivers hurried into the few prime parking spots available.

Inside the Persimmon Tree on Third Street, a specialty store that sells home decor and tea among other items, business was bustling in the early afternoon.

"I'm really surprised," said owner Bill Briner. "Usually it's slow in the morning and business picks up in the afternoon on the day after Thanksgiving. But we started out busy about 10 a.m. and it has stayed that way."

Eileen Califf of Wheaton makes it a tradition to visit the quaint shops of Geneva's Third Street after the Thanksgiving holiday, but she doesn't expect to spend as much this year.

"I am scaling back, I'm being cautious," she said. "My 401(k) is down and I'm really watching my spending. But I did buy a couple of Christmas gifts. I'm cutting back on buying decorations, like fresh evergreens, and on buying ornaments for myself. And maybe I'll have lunch somewhere inexpensive. It's a give and take."

Daily Herald staff writers Kerry Lester, Nadia Malik, Elisabeth Mistretta, Lee Filas, Madhu Krishnamurthy and Nancy Gier contributed to this report.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Photo Galleries</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/story/?id=254466">Images from Black Friday shopping </a></li> </ul> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="http://video.ap.org/vws/search/aspx/ap.aspx?t=s62&p=ENAPbusiness_ENAPbusiness&g=businessminute&f=ilarl" class="mediaItem">Black Friday shoppers </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>