Brisk Sales Reported at Valley Stores : Business: Shopping rush reflects large crowds nationwide and shows how far local malls have come since Jan. 17 quake. Sales totals appear to be up slightly as discounts hold sway.

Galvanized by price cuts, prizes and promotions, consumers descended on the nation’s shopping malls in heavy numbers Friday, creating a genuine shopping rush on the traditional start of the holiday buying season--and reflecting how far San Fernando Valley malls have come in recovering from the January earthquake.

But while turnouts in much of the nation were among the largest ever, actual sales appeared to be up only slightly over last year--and much of that business was generated by bargain hunters.

In the Valley, the Broadway and Sears, Roebuck & Co. reported brisk business at Northridge Fashion Center, even though about 200 quake-damaged stores are still closed at the mall situated near the quake’s epicenter.

The Sherman Oaks Galleria fared well, and the Glendale Galleria appeared to be benefiting richly from the Northridge mall’s continuing troubles, with early counts indicating twice as many holiday shoppers as last year.

From across the country came reports of a buying frenzy at stores offering big discounts on pricey merchandise. Thousands jammed I. Magnin stores in Southern California, snapping up merchandise on the first day of a liquidation sale of a longtime retailer that will soon close its doors for good.

Traffic in downtown Chicago was heavy, parking lots were full and the shoppers wall-to-wall at Marshall Fields, but they described themselves as bargain-oriented.

Many shoppers said they planned to spend more money this holiday season, confirming recent poll reports of rising consumer confidence. But many of those planning to spend more also said they plan to spend later to take advantage of any additional discounting during possible season close-outs--a mixed outlook for an industry that is trying to put an end to that holdout habit.

Indeed, while spending levels may have been moderate in much of the country Friday, industry analysts expect sales to build closer to Christmas. Most analysts are predicting sales increases of 5% to 10% nationally and 5% to 7% in Southern California.

In the San Fernando Valley, Friday was an important test for malls damaged in the Northridge quake.

At Northridge Fashion Center, two anchor stores--the Broadway and Sears--opened earlier this month, amid dusty construction work that will continue into next spring on the 200 smaller stores still closed by damage.

Randy Mackay, manager of the Broadway, said the store “opened a little quieter than we’d like,” but said that sales in recent weeks have been ahead of last year’s pace. At Sears, which spent more than $8 million on repair and renovation work, store manager Ed Tiritilli said big crowds Friday erased his post-quake apprehensions.

By the time Sears opened at 8 a.m., 300 people were lined up outside the doors, Tiritilli said. By 10, the parking lots were filling, as shoppers rushed to get 10% discounts on purchases made before 11 a.m. “We were waiting to see what would happen without a mall,” Tiritilli said. “The response has been excellent.”

In Sears’ hardware department Friday morning, Gale Marsh, 36, carried in her outstretched arms a $40 drill, a $15 drill bit set, a $20 plier set and a $20 screwdriver set--all Hanukkah gifts for her tool-collecting husband. “He doesn’t use them,” she said. “But he likes to own them.”

In the holiday decorations department at Sears, Arpig Sorkazian, 41, and her 16-year-old daughter, Silva, of Northridge were shopping for a Nativity set because the one they had last year was destroyed by the quake. Though insurance covered most of the $75,000 in damage their home sustained, they said the quake has squeezed their holiday budget--a $75 Nativity set was rejected in favor of one that cost $25--and has made shopping less convenient.

“We have to go all the way to Burbank, Glendale and Topanga (Canyon Boulevard),” Arpig Sorkazian said. “We wouldn’t have to if everything were fixed here.”

The giant Glendale Galleria might have benefited most from Northridge Fashion Center’s ongoing earthquake troubles. That mall appeared headed for 150,000 shoppers Friday, double the average daily traffic during the holiday season, said Richard Giss, a partner with the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche who spent the day at the Galleria tracking shopping activity.

Among those symbolizing shopper attitudes were Pamela Cox and Susan Cox-Simmons, twin sisters who roamed for deals at the Westside Pavilion in Los Angeles.

“I’m inclined to wait for more bargains, but it depends on what I find today,” Cox said. “If I know the cost is the least for something on my list--I’ll buy.”

To be sure, shoppers in Southern California appeared to be responsive to promotions as well as discounts. At a Target store in North Hollywood, for example, about 800 people lined up before the store opened to take advantage of sales and a promotion--a free “Holiday Survival Package” that included coupons, shampoo, lotion, snacks and antacids. The package was offered to the first 1,000 customers at each Target store nationwide.

The toy business also boomed at the FAO Schwarz store in the Glendale Galleria, where manager Michael Edgelow said: “It’s a psychotic day--a crazy day.”

By early afternoon, prize giveaways boosted the turnout at Sherman Oaks Galleria for the kickoff of promotions that will continue through Christmas Eve. Shoppers who obtained a free membership in the Galleria’s Top Shopper Club were eligible for random drawings for $100 and $250 gift certificates and for free trips to Hawaii, Lake Tahoe and Desert Hot Springs.

The expectations of Southland retailers are generally upbeat, recent polls have shown. However, sales increased only slightly compared to the same Friday a year ago because serious bargain hunters did much of the buying while others merely window-shopped, Giss said.

“Clearly, consumers are being drawn by door-busting sales and promotions,” Giss said. “The idea is to get the shoppers in early because it helps build more customer traffic.”

In a Deloitte & Touche survey of 175 shoppers at various Southern California malls Friday, Giss said 77% of the respondents said they would spend as much or more this year on holiday gifts than last year, and 57% said they feel secure in their jobs.

“People are confident in their ability to deal with this economy, Giss said. “They think it’s going to get better.”

Giss said surveyors found that department stores offering more expensive clothing had difficulty drawing buyers. But after years of weak clothing sales in Southern California, survey respondents Friday expressed a strong interest in apparel--a sign that shoppers want garments at low prices.

The slump in apparel sales is expected to end nationwide this holiday season largely because of pent-up demand. Retailers said women’s mohair sweaters and velvet blouses and skirts were popular with women Friday. Sweater shirts and flannel shirts for men sold well. Children’s favorites included the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Lion King merchandise and electronic learning aids such as GeoSafari.

Scaffolding still surrounds the quake-cracked exterior of Sherman Oaks Galleria, but the mall opened 11 days after the quake, and its department store anchors finished repairs in July.

On Friday, minutes after the mall opened at 9 a.m., a line of 10 people had already formed at the Kay-Bee Toy Store on the second floor. At the back of the toy store line, Norm Braverman carried a $15 plastic pop-up toy, a $4 football and a $13 Power Rangers Light-Up Desk.

“What does it do? Damned if I know,” said Braverman, a 43-year-old financial analyst with the county Health Department.

Downstairs, the Comic King collectibles store is counting on parents like Braverman to join what has already become a feeding frenzy for toys that have anything to do with the Power Rangers--the super hero stars of a children’s television program.

Launched earlier this year by Richard Fuksman, a 15-year-old comic book collector turned entrepreneur, the Comic King has loaded up on Power Rangers inventory, including the latest must-have piece: the White Tigerzord, a ferocious-looking vehicle one of the Power Rangers rides into battle.

But while other toy stores offer the Tigerzord for as little as $60, the Comic King offers it for $125. “It’s cheaper up there,” Richard said, pointing to the Kay-Bee store upstairs. “But they’ll only have it for half an hour.”

Some were willing to spend more heavily if the price was right.

“Buying seems to be concentrated on moderate items--products under $50,” said Kurt Barnard, a New Jersey-based retail economist and head of Barnard’s Retail Consulting Group. “Nationwide, the malls are packed, but shoppers are mainly seeking low prices and good buys.”

Contributing to this story were Times staff writers Greg Johnson, Hope Hamashige and Nancy Hsu in Orange County, Ray Delgado in Los Angeles, Anna M. Virtue in Miami, Audrey Britton in New York, Doug Conner in Seattle, John Beckham in Chicago, and Times wire services.

Shopping Advice: For a collection of shopping tips and bargains, read Geri Cook’s columns on TimesLink. Use jump word: Geri Cook.

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