"Today the parking is easy," said Kartik Sundram, an IT strategy consultant, as he and his wife stuffed several bags with children's clothing at the Gap in Pasadena.

And let's not forget the discounts, which ranged from 20% to 60% at the Gap.

"I'd rather not be shopping today if I could," Sundram said. "But the retailers with their economic bait are drawing us in."

[Full disclosure: After interviewing Gap shoppers, this reporter also succumbed, picking up three pairs of pants and a shirt, all at 40% off.]

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Follow Walter Hamilton on Twitter @LATwalter