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Black Friday deals get mixed reception

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Shirley Jackson arrived at Wal-Mart about 8 a.m. Friday hoping to snap up a 42-inch, high-definition Polaroid TV for $598. She missed out on the limited supplies but reacted philosophically, not with disappointment.

“It’s just as well I didn’t get the TV. I have to focus on what I need — I need sheets, I need groceries,” said Jackson, a Milwaukee woman in her 40s. “I’m spending a whole lot less this year. I have bills to pay, and I don’t want to have it come down to choosing between buying medicine and buying groceries.”

Jackson’s caution echoed that of shoppers around the state and across the nation. Although early morning “doorbuster” had long lines forming Thursday night, many customers were doing more browsing than buying under the weight of economic concerns.

Henry Peters, a 42-year-old building manager at a Milwaukee school, arrived at a local Wal-Mart in the midmorning to buy a $45 kitchen playset for his kids. It was the first time in years he had passed on early morning deals.

“The doorbusters used to be for us, but this year we’re shopping strictly for the kids,” he said. The only item he was determined to buy was the “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” video game and guitar controller for his son. It was sold out by the time Peters arrived at the store, so he decided to look for it online instead.

At West Towne mall in Madison, people lined up as early as 2 a.m. to get $10 gift cards given out when the mall opened at 5 a.m. The 500 cards were gone in less than an hour, said mall marketing director Tiffany Bernhardt. Her optimism about the heavy traffic was tempered by fears of lower spending. “We are forecasting a moderate holiday sales season compared with last year,” Bernhardt said.

Many consumers said they planned to spend less this holiday season as they juggle rent, grocery and other bills amid layoffs, tightening credit and dwindling retirement accounts.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, got its name because the traditional flood of shoppers marked the first day stores became profitable, or went “into the black,” for the year. While it isn’t a predictor of holiday sales, Black Friday is an important barometer of people’s willingness to spend for the rest of the season.

Particularly this year, analysts will dissect how the economy is shaping buying habits in a season that many predict could see less spending than a year ago.

Barbette Koys, 40, who runs a Milwaukee daycare, spent about $1,000 Friday morning. Her biggest purchase was a $379 Toshiba laptop, regularly $700, for which she had camped out at Best Buy since 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

“Yeah, it was a lot of time, rotating with my son between the line and the vehicle, but saving $300 is a big deal, especially nowadays,” Koys said.

She said she usually charges her purchases but paid $800 in cash because she didn’t want to be saddled with debt in a sour economy.

Last year, the Thanksgiving shopping weekend of Friday through Sunday accounted for about 10 percent of overall holiday sales, according to ShopperTrak RCT Corp.

The group hasn’t released estimates for this year’s Black Friday, but experts believe it will remain one of the season’s biggest days, even if shoppers are deliberate in their spending.