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Retailers going all out this holiday season
louis vuitton outlet This holiday season, retailers are rushing more than ever before to get your business.

Black Friday – the day-after-Thanksgiving traditional start of the holiday shopping season – is turning into Black Thursday as more stores open at midnight or even earlier Thanksgiving evening.

They also aren’t waiting until Thanksgiving to release their doorbuster discounts. They’re putting them out days and even weeks ahead.

And CyberMonday, the online shopping event the Monday after Thanksgiving? It’s turning into CyberWeekend.

With the economy continuing to dampen consumer confidence, holiday sales are expected to be just slightly higher than in 2010. So retailers who are filling their coffers before their competitors have the best chance of showing a healthy profit, even if that means opening their doors before Thanksgiving dinner is digested.

www.louisvuittonoutletofficial.com “We’re beginning to see changes or what I call the ‘new tradition’ – stores opening on Thanksgiving Day, stores opening on Christmas Day, opening at midnight on Black Friday,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for market researchers the NPD Group. “They want to be the first one that consumers think of and go to to spend.”

A head start

The number of people who went shopping at midnight on Thanksgiving 2010 was triple that of 2009, according to the National Retail Federation. Those high figures have retailers responding.

“They are now recognizing that they have to compete not only in the same mall but also with an online 24/7, 365 days a year sales offering opportunity,” Cohen said. “They are opening early because their competitors are. And if they don’t, they will not look progressive enough.”

This year, Wal-Mart will give its customers a choice with three “Black Friday” events. The first starts at 10 p.m. Thursday with specials on top toys, home items and apparel. At midnight there will be discounts for electronics. Starting at 8 a.m. Friday through the weekend it will have specials on gifts for the family.

For the first time area Macy’s and Best Buy stores will open at midnight. Target also will open at midnight and extend its holiday hours in most stores – midnight to 11 p.m. on Friday, along with extended hours Dec. 24 and Dec. 26.

ugg sale Shopping centers also are moving up their Black Friday events. Oak Park Mall in Overland Park plans to open at midnight for the first time, joining some of its retailers such as Macy’s, Aéropostale, the Disney Store, Express, Journeys and Build-A-Bear Workshop. All the stores in the mall will be open by 7 a.m. Friday.

Some stores and restaurants in the Legends Outlets Kansas City will open at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving Day and offer extended hours on the weekends up to Christmas. The Northland’s Zona Rosa will open at midnight Thursday for discounts, giveaways and overnight promotions. Independence Center will open at 4 a.m.

Kmart has opened on Thanksgiving for two decades and will continue that tradition with a 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. opening Thursday and 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. opening on Black Friday. Kohl’s will be open 24 hours starting at midnight Thursday.

The area Dillard’s stores plan to open 8 a.m. Friday.

But the earlier holiday hours are not for everyone.

Last year, Kmart’s sister company, Sears, also tried opening on Thanksgiving for the first time. But this year it will go back to a 4 a.m. Black Friday opening, “so that our associates and their families can celebrate Thanksgiving and other holiday traditions.”

ugg One Target employee wishes his company had followed suit. He has gathered more than 182,000 responses at Change.org asking Target not to open on Thanksgiving night so its workers can spend the day with families. But a Target executive said the company had received “overwhelming support for the earlier opening” from both employees and customers.

Discounts, incentives

Another “new tradition” this year — which retailers call a “price plus mentality” — has shoppers expecting deep discounts and demanding more on top of a good price. That means higher quality, added value, and more perks such as layaway, free shipping, giveaways, even valet service.

The National Retail Federation says shoppers will “dedicate themselves manically to finding the best deal,” searching out the best prices at retail outlets from department stores to grocery stores.

Average shoppers plan to do 36 percent of their shopping online, up from 33 percent in 2010. Those consumers might not make all those purchases online, but they will be researching many of their gifts online and comparing prices before making a purchase online or in a store. These multi-channel shoppers also spend about 22 percent more then people who shop just in stores.

Some retailers also are offering other discounts and incentives through the season.

ugg boots outlet Target will match prices on identical items advertised locally by a competitor. Kohl’s gives shoppers a $10 “Kohl’s Cash” back for every $50 customers spend and free shipping on items ordered from in-store kiosks. Office Max will have one-day-only deals every Friday.

Best Buy is running a Facebook contest through Nov. 28, giving its fans a chance to win one of the 10 daily e-gift card giveaways and donating $2 to the Boys & Girls Club of America for every mobile check-in up to $250,000.

iWant

Though practical items have been among the top choices in the downturn, this year shoppers seem to be a bit looser, planning to spend more if they will use an item daily, such as a $400 watch or a $200 coffeemaker, a survey by the National Retail Federation says.

Items trending on PriceGrabber recently have included cameras, computers, electronics, toys and video games.

Dillard’s expects Ugg boots and slippers to be top sellers for the entire family, as well as watches and handbags by Michael Kors.

Macy’s expects outdoor gear for winter sports enthusiasts, and shiny and sparkly items for fashionistas to do well.

A survey by Nielsen shows the most desired electronic for children ages 6 to 12 is an iPad followed by an iPod Touch, iPhone, computer, tablet computer, and Nintendo 3DS.

But there’s a lack of “must have” items that traditionally drive sales even higher, retail analysts say. Retailers just don’t seem willing to take a risk on trendy merchandise they might have to deeply discount after Christmas.

discount uggs Cohen ran down a short list of hot items that could help sales – but just slightly. There’s the Lets Rock Elmo, but that targets just 2- to 5-year olds, he said. The Apple iPhone 4S will sell, but the Apple iPhone 5S will be out later next year, so many consumers might wait. Most consumers who want an eReader or Tablet already got one as a gift by now.

Still cautious

Uncertainty, a sluggish housing market and high unemployment continue to dampen spending, experts said.

The National Retail Federation expects a 2.8 percent increase this year to $466 billion. That’s slightly more than the 10-year average but nowhere close to the 5.2 percent gain in 2010.

Part of that gain will include consumers’ spending even more money on themselves this year, about $130, an all-time high and a 16 percent jump from $112 in 2010. So children might get new gloves, or dad a new snow blower, but not as gifts. One specialty retailer even ran “To You, From You” ads.

Still, Cohen and other retail experts are more cautious in their sales predictions.

“You have a consumer who has to buy holiday gifts and has about the same amount of money as last year,” Cohen said.

uggs outlet “There’s an absence of hot, new, exciting products, a lack of impulse products, so they are saying, ‘I’m only buying out of obligation. I’m not buying out of desire.’ So they are back to the traditional gifts … so we’ll have minimum growth at best.”