Post-Holiday Shoppers Jam Parking Lots, Brave Malls
Thousands of bargain-conscious shoppers made the season a little brighter for Ventura County retailers Sunday as bustling crowds packed local malls and shopping centers to hunt for post-holiday deals.
But with the crowds came long lines to return merchandise, traffic jams and tested nerves.
At Camarillo Premium Outlets, eager shoppers in pursuit of parking circled the jammed lots and filled side streets.
Stacey Crawford, a manager at the center’s Saks Fifth Avenue outlet, said finding a parking space on the weekend during the holiday season is always a challenge.
“It always takes at least half an hour to park,” she said.
Crawford said her store had strong sales for the day and fewer gift returns than expected.
At Pacific View Mall in Ventura, police responded to reports of one man hitting another outside the Robinsons-May store, but the alleged victim drove off before police arrived. The other man disappeared into the mall, authorities said.
While her daughter stood in line for Chinese food at the food court, Rose Cariveau of Oxnard staked out a table and guarded the many bags of merchandise the two had accumulated.
Even though she had planned only on exchanging gifts, Cariveau said she could not resist buying a new pair of tennis shoes for her 2-year-old granddaughter and sale-priced Christmas decorations for next year.
Cariveau said she was not deterred by the large crowds who showed up for the after-Christmas sales at the former Buenaventura Mall.
“I didn’t have any plans for the day,” the day-care center operator said.
Longtime Ventura resident Richard Severns has made a tradition out of hitting the malls on Dec. 26. He said his wife of 50 years, Frances, regularly comes out for the post-holiday sales, and many of their Christmas gifts are purchased at that time.
“She doesn’t buy anything unless it’s on sale,” said the retired oil field worker. “She’s a bargain hunter.”
Estela Pomare, a customer service representative at Macy’s at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, said 40 people had lined up by 7 a.m. when the store opened and foot traffic had not let up by late afternoon.
“People have been clamoring in all day,” she said.
Pomare, who went down to the gift wrap department to buy discounted wrapping paper during her break, said she found little left.
At the Target store in Ventura, 50 people were waiting by the time the store opened at 7 a.m, said assistant manager Burl Gregory. He was not surprised, he said, at the size of the post-Christmas crowd.
“There’s bargains out there, and people are looking for a deal,” said Gregory, who added that some of the hottest-selling items were Christmas themed and therefore marked down.
While traffic jams tied up area malls early in the day, the highways were expected to be busy Sunday night with holiday travelers returning from their Christmas weekend excursions.
By early evening Sunday, the California Highway Patrol had reported one fatal traffic collision on the county’s roadways during the holiday weekend. A 31-year-old Oxnard man was killed Saturday in a head-on collision on California 118 in Somis, just east of Sand Canyon Road. Officials also reported making nine drunk-driving arrests since Christmas Eve.
For those waiting until today to return home, the weather forecast calls for local highs in the 70s during the day and mild winds in the canyons.
“It is nearly ideal conditions for traveling,” said Gary Ryan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard. “It couldn’t be better for this time of year.”
