Local stores cranking up for Black Friday blitz

The intensity of Black Friday may be fading a bit, as retailers started promotions earlier this month and the popularity of online shopping continues to rise.

But analysts predict a little more jingle at the registers because people are somewhat more optimistic about their personal finances and job security; consulting firm Accenture reported one-quarter of U.S. consumers plan to spend more on holiday shopping this year, and spending on holiday gifts is expected to average $718.

Accenture's annual holiday shopping report indicated 45 percent of those surveyed planned to shop on Thanksgiving Day and evening, up from 38 percent in 2013. Some retailers, however, are opting to remain closed Thanksgiving Day, advertising that they're "family friendly" by not requiring employees to work the holiday. Several local retailers will be closed on turkey day.

Wal-Mart has morphed Black Friday into a five-day sales event it is calling "the new Black Friday," with discounts and special deals starting online at 6 a.m. Thursday -- presumably so Internet bargains may be bagged while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or roasting a bird -- and a series of holiday offers running through Monday evening.

Gary Elders, store manager at the Cape Girardeau Wal-Mart, said since the Cape Girardeau and Jackson stores are supercenters, they're open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that's how they will operate now through Christmas Eve.

A Best Buy employee hands out tickets for doorbuster items to Black Friday shoppers in line Nov. 28 in Cape Girardeau. The retailer opened it's doors to shoppers at 6 p.m. that day. (Laura Simon)

A 27-year Wal-Mart veteran, Elders said 35 to 40 seasonal employees have been added to the staff and store-level planning for holiday shopping starts in July.

Of the Cape Girardeau store, Elders said, "We're one of the top-performing stores in the company on that day [Thanksgiving], and we take pride in that. We take a long, hard look at planning so we don't miss anything of importance."

Kmart plans to open at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving and remain open for 40 hours straight, until 10 p.m. Friday. Sears will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Target has plans to open at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day and remain open through 11 p.m. Friday.

"We have good, solid plans in place. ... We might have a decent-sized line before we open, but we have people there to greet the guests. We pass out Target goodies and maps of our store to help customers find what they're looking for very easily. It's a really organized process," said Kia Morrison, the Cape Girardeau store's executive team leader of the sales floor and the front end.

"We start planning right after the back-to-school season at the end of August and beginning of September, but we don't set our Christmas until after Halloween," said Morrison, who has been with Target for about a year and a half. "We're excited and pumped."

J.C. Penney, in West Park Mall, will open at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving and keep the doors open until 10 p.m. Friday, with "door-buster" prices in place from the opening through 1 p.m. Friday.

"It's a little crazy, but it's a lot of fun," J.C. Penney's human resources leader Jen Rolape said. "We try to drive the energy for our shoppers and our team. It's kind of like the Super Bowl of shopping."

nhadler@semissourian.com

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