Although metro-area retail chains were able to attract hundreds of early birds as in years past, some shoppers said the crowds were lighter this year, attributing the drop to Internet deals, a lack of big-ticket specials and the economy.
Some retailers advertised deep discounts a week earlier this year in an effort to jump-start customers’ spending.
For the third straight year, Richard Guzman camped out at the Southlands Best Buy store in Aurora to score Black Friday door-buster specials.
Despite landing a spot at the front of the line for the first time, Guzman will spend less money on gifts this year. He said that has more to do with how much he spent last year — $4,000 — than the sluggish economy.
“Last year we bought five laptops, two desktops, TVs, cameras,” said Guzman, 58, who is married and has one daughter. “This year, we’ll spend about $1,700 or $1,800.”
The retired U.S. Postal Service worker said he’s suffered only paper losses from the economic downturn.
“My 401(k) is getting its butt kicked. I lost over 55 percent, but that’s long-term,” Guzman said.
Sue Ogden, owner of Ogden Construction, said she planned to tighten her budget so she wouldn’t have to cut into her business expenses as the country navigates through the recession.
“We want to keep our employees we’ve had for 30 years,” the Aurora resident said while standing in line at a Kohl’s store. “We don’t want to have to lay them off.”
Ogden estimated she would spend only $200 this year, about a fifth of what she usually spends. She’ll be giving handmade gifts this year, she said.
For others, the economic troubles won’t change their spending habits.
“It doesn’t affect what my kids want,” said Lavesta Kenison, an Aurora resident with two children.
Kenison started her Black Friday shopping at Walmart and purchased a 42-inch LCD TV for $598.
Cindy Dodson, a Best Buy store manager, said the line at the Southlands store was a little shorter this year. But the hottest items were the same: deeply discounted laptops and desktops.
What wasn’t the same were the store’s amenities for the early birds.
“The hardest thing was they didn’t have any port-o-potties, and last year they did,” said Patrick Adkins, who showed up at the store at 7:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving with Guzman.
Local independent retailers said they don’t see much traffic on Black Friday because shoppers typically hit the malls and big-box retail chains that are offering deep discounts.
“It’s kind of an average day for us,” said Denise Snyder, owner of the women’s clothing boutique Mariel on Larimer Square. “We see more of our regular customers who are out with their families.”
Andy Vuong, The Denver Post
