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Going for Broke -- and Bargains
Bargain shoppers, many facing frigid temperatures, woke up before dawn Friday to snap up specials on items from cashmere sweaters to flat-screen TVs and digital music players as the holiday shopping season officially got under way.
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About 2 million shoppers across the country rushed into Wal-Mart during the first hour after opening, the company estimated, pursuing 5 a.m.-to-11 a.m. specials.
"We feel pretty energized," said Gail Lavielle, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman.
This year retailers offered bigger promotions -- and earlier openings -- than they have in the past, according to the National Retail Federation.
"This year, retailers have learned the meaning of the phrase, 'If you discount, they will come,' " federation President Tracy Mullin said in a written statement. "Lukewarm promotions on Black Friday won't get consumers out of bed, so most stores went all out this year to ensure that they were part of the holiday hype."
Yesterday the trade group said that retail sales for the holiday weekend could surpass the $22.8 billion spent last year, with about 130 million shoppers nationwide.
There were so many shoppers at the Wal-Mart store in Kingstowne that Fairfax County police asked the store to reduce the crowd.
Phyllis Whittaker of Florida, 63, who was visiting her daughter and grandchildren in Burke, said she witnessed a scuffle between shoppers at the Wal-Mart she visited, where she arrived at 3:30 a.m. for the 5 a.m. opening, only to find the laptop she had been angling for was sold out.
At 6:30 a.m., Whittaker was standing in line again, this time at the Hecht's at Tysons, where the usual 400 employees had been reinforced with several hundred more. Whittaker had a new quilt under her arm, and her granddaughter, Kaitlyn Christopher, 13, was carrying Waterford crystal ornaments and a bag of cashmere sweater sets. A boxed breakfast griddle sat at her feet.
The two planned to spend the entire day shopping, with just a few breaks to walk Kaitlyn's dogs, Coco and Cinnamon. But before they even got to the cash register, Kaitlyn let out a long yawn.
"I can't help it," she said.
Noon: Crowds in Full Force
The escalators were packed with shoppers, and moms pushing strollers could barely navigate the aisles. The line at Starbucks had long before stretched well past the entrance. Strangers shared tables in the food court.
The smell of french fries hung thickly around local burger chain Five Guys. The crowd was six people deep for bacon cheeseburgers and Cajun fries.
