ShareThisBy LESLEY MITCHELL
Monday, November 20, 2006
Opening as early as 5 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving with a host of "doorbuster" specials is a modern retail tradition.
But what about a minute after midnight?
Mall owner General Growth Properties said that seven of its malls nationwide that will open moments after midnight on the much hyped Black Friday.
Shoppers at the Fashion Place Mall in Murray, Utah this week had mixed feelings about the idea, although most said they were intrigued by the thought of special sales, prize giveaways, free coffee and hot cocoa in the middle of the night.
As for several merchants and people who work in the mall, not so much.
While setting up her roasted-nut kiosk, Deanna Lee contemplated working more than 22 hours straight without sleep.
"That's going to be one long day," she said, sighing.
General Growth, which tested the idea in 2001 at its Riverchase Galleria shopping center in Alabama, said that such promotions create quite a stir. The mall operator said early openings elsewhere on the day after Thanksgiving have boosted sales at a wide range of merchants.
"We're excited about this because in other cities, thousands of people showed up," said Tamara DeMilt, senior marketing manager.
Some merchants are concerned that actual sales in the wee hours of the morning might be spotty, especially given the fact that the mall's anchors and shopper magnets _ Nordstrom, Dillard's, Sears and Macy's _ will not be open alongside them.
Sears is planning the earliest opening of the mall's anchors that day, at 5 a.m., with Nordstrom opening four hours later, DeMilt said.
Other merchants are worried about security during the night, while still others fret about scheduling employees to work all night long _ and having enough workers the next day.
DeMilt estimated that at least 130 of the mall's 150 shops, kiosks and food outlets would open for the extended hours. She said lease terms among individual merchants vary, but that most are bound by their agreements to be open.
Iris Jacobsen, who sells candle warmers in the mall, worries about having to pay someone to work all night long and then not sell much.
She said she expects to have difficulty finding anyone to work at her kiosk in the early morning hours. "I certainly don't want to be here."
Staffing two stores in Fashion Place will be a challenge, said Jeff Barnard, who owns JMR and Lolabella Boutique apparel stores. But he's willing to deal with the inconvenience to support the promotion.
"I like it because it's a new idea and thinking out of the box."
Michelle Leclair, who sells a Utah scrapbooking organizer in a kiosk, said the last time she stayed up all night long was in college. But she's excited about the promotion.
"I think a lot of people are going to come out and there will be a lot of energy."
Other mall companies undoubtedly will be watching to see how well General Growth does with the promotion.
Natalie Watson, senior marketing manager at South Towne Center in Sandy, Utah said her property officially will open the day after Thanksgiving at 8 a.m., although some of the mall's tenants plan to open as early as 5 a.m.
Describing General Growth's early hour opening as "a great idea," she said her mall has found that shoppers tend to instead patronize big-box stores and discounters during early morning hours.
"It's later in the morning that we tend to see the traffic come over to the shopping center," she said.
Stacey Kasteler of Bountiful, Utah says she will be doing just one thing after midnight the day after Thanksgiving. Sleeping.
Kasteler said she loves to get a good deal and might even show up at some stores as early as 6 a.m.
But any earlier? "Heavens no, I have my limits," she said.
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Why is the day after Thanksgiving referred to as "Black Friday"?
_ It is no longer the most important shopping day of the holiday season. But for years the day after Thanksgiving marked when retailers went from being "in the red" (not turning a profit) to being "in the black," according to the National Retail Federation. These days it is one of the highest sales days of the year but rarely the top one.
Which days do retailers expect to be the top shopping days this holiday season?
_ Because Christmas falls on Monday, the top shopping day is expected to be the last Saturday before Christmas, Dec. 23. Black Friday is expected to be second, with Saturday, Dec. 16, Friday, Dec. 22, and Saturday, Dec. 9, rounding out the top five, according to ShopperTrak RCT Corp.
