Stores, Malls Get More Than Bargained For

With cloudy skies putting a wintry touch on the day, shoppers jammed Orange County stores Friday, snapping up bargains and reinforcing a growing belief that retailers will have a prosperous holiday season this year.

Tempted by “door buster” sales and novelty toys, crowds lined up early just about anywhere there was a sale--department, discount and specialty stores--on the traditional start of the shopping season.

At the Westminster Mall, where the number of shoppers is up 9% from last year at this time, mall officials were thrilled with Friday’s turnout.

“It’s phenomenal so far,” said Stephanie Green, the mall’s marketing director. The parking lot, which accommodates 5,900 cars, was full by 10 a.m. Last year, the lot didn’t fill until noon, she said.

At the Good Guys store in Huntington Beach, salesman Gabriel Perez said both sales and the number of shoppers were up from last year.

Clothing, DVD players and trendy toys were among the day’s best sellers. Across the nation, the virtual pet Furby was kicking up a frenzy.

As in past years, the day started out busy, with bargain hunters packing stores early. But the pace seemed to cool somewhat in the afternoon.

There were hundreds of parking places available at The Block, the new entertainment/shopping center in Orange, about 1 p.m. At South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, a parking place could be found in three minutes about 4 p.m. Last year, it took 20 minutes to find a spot at the same time.

Friday’s sales tally won’t be known until Sunday or Monday, when retail chains, mall groups and others begin reporting the totals. One early indication: four of the six big department-store chains saw their stocks rise in Friday trading, including Sears, Roebuck & Co., and Target and Mervyn’s parent Dayton Hudson Corp., which both surged more than $1 a share.

While the day after Thanksgiving is not the busiest shopping day of the year--the Saturday before Christmas is--it is something of a litmus test for the season.

Last year, sales during the Thanksgiving weekend accounted for about 9% of the total revenue collected during the shopping season, which stretches from the day after Thanksgiving to the end of December.

Holiday sales in general have become less crucial to merchants in recent years but still amount to a third of the annual revenue for many retailers. Economists say that with a rebounding stock market, the region’s robust economy, a low jobless rate and high consumer confidence, merchants are anticipating a lucrative holiday season.

Much of Friday’s shopping frenzy centered on the Southland’s toy stores and, as usual, Kay-Bee toys was a popular spot because of its annual Early Bird Sale, which offered deep discounts on more than two dozen toys from 6 a.m. until noon.

At the chain’s Huntington Beach Mall store, a line of customers snaked from the register, around the perimeter of the store, and out the front door into the mall.

Kay-Bee touched off similar buying frenzies at stores in Brea, Irvine and Laguna Hills with six-hour sale prices that had Barbies retailing at $2.99 and a Toss & Tickle Me Elmo give-away with each $100 in toy purchases.

At Play Co. in Mission Viejo, it was equally lively. Four hundred people rushed the store when it opened at 6 a.m., most of them seeking Beanie Babies, which at $4.99 were a buck off.

“It has been unbelievable,” salesman Alan Beniot said. “We have been absolutely swamped.”

By midmorning, the store was sold out of the interactive Winnie the Pooh dolls and just-released Beanie Babies. The Spice Girl dolls were almost gone too.

“Almost all of the advertised specials were gone,” Beniot said.

Foothill Ranch resident Tracey Salvacion drove to the new Zany Brainy toy store in Corona del Mar, where special-edition Beanie Babies were selling for $25. “Are we silly or what?” she asked.

Indeed, bargain hunters of all stripes were out in full force. Signs for sales and clearance specials dotted department stores and display windows at malls across the region.

At Fashion Island Newport Beach, Cal State Fullerton instructor Phyllisa Eisentraut grabbed a half-price comforter at Robinsons-May early Friday and then continued her bargain search at Bloomingdale’s.

“I’ve got my extra 20% off coupon from Bloomingdale’s in my pocket,” she said.

Big department stores slashed prices on items already marked down, such as purses and sweaters.

“That strategy seems to be working,” said Nate Franke, a retail expert at the Deloitte & Touche accounting firm in Costa Mesa. He strolled South Coast Plaza on Friday morning for a first-hand view of the action, and said that most merchants were upbeat.

“The main department stores looked like they were doing a very good business,” he said.

Also on sale at a number of chains were cameras, VCRs, cordless phones and big-screen televisions. Even drug stores such as Rite Aid got into the act, advertising half-price toys, hair dryers and Christmas decorations.

Stores that offered shoppers freebies drew large crowds.

Target offered the first 1,000 a free Hot Wheels car and a chance to win a minivan.

Fedco’s 10 Southland stores offered their first 1,000 customers a “goody bag,” filled with candy, gift wrap and small toys. And one customer would receive a bag with a certificate for a $1,000 shopping spree.

Employees were set to hand the bags out when the store opened at 5:30 a.m.

Fila Portman and LaMont Nichols arrived at the Los Angeles store at 6 a.m., but the bags were all gone. “We were certain we would get a goody bag but we didn’t make the cut,” said Portman.

Clifford and Patricia Davenport of Santa Ana said they were half-finished with their shopping for the day by 10:30 a.m., having already made three trips to their car to drop off bags. The couple, shopping at the Westminster Mall, said they were buying mostly clothes for their children and grandchildren.

They said they always like to get an early start because they have to send gifts to relatives in New York and Washington.

Many shoppers said the region’s strong economy had improved their financial situations, and that they would spend as much or more money than last year.

Jim Clover, who with his wife Becki opened a health care supply business in Riverside last year, said he will probably spend more than $1,000 on Christmas this year, topping last year, because the business is now more established.

“We are looking for sales and stuff,” said Clover, who tore off for Bloomingdale’s at Fashion Island so hurriedly that one of his two daughters forgot to put on socks.

“We had to buy socks first,” he quipped.

Polly Martinez, a 21-year-old student who was shopping at the Westminster Mall with her 3-year-old daughter, Olivia, said she was only looking for bargains.

“Everything I bought so far has been on sale,” she said.

Even so, when she completes her shopping, it will likely be more than last year. “I don’t even want to think about it,” she said.

Some shopping venues were actually calm, at least for part of the day.

The day started slowly at Fashion Island. At Macy’s, which advertised 50% off on some already-marked-down merchandise, there were few cars in the parking lot when the store opened at 7 a.m.

“It’s a perfect mall to go to for the door busters,” said one Macy’s employee who asked not to be identified. “Fashion Island’s not known for an early, early customer. . . . We should be pumping about 10 this morning.”

It also was easy to find a parking space in the morning at the new Kaleidoscope shopping center in Mission Viejo, said Richard Ruoff, 50, of Rancho Santa Margarita.

Ruoff and his wife, Cheryl, 46, were heading to her doctor’s office when they recalled an advertisement for several toys they wanted to buy for their grandchildren at Zany Brainy.

“We weren’t going to come here,” Richard Ruoff said, “but once we were in this area, we just decided to come in and shop.”

At the Moonrose gift shop in the Los Rios Historic District in San Juan Capistrano, shoppers found a more laid-back atmosphere.

Christy Markun, 21, of Laguna Hills, found the district, comprised of old homes and shops, interesting and fun, compared to shopping at a busy mall. “This is so much more relaxed,” Markun said.

Times staff writers David Reyes, Richard Marosi and E. Scott Reckard in Orange County, and George White in Los Angeles contributed to this report.