Mall urges gift givers to shop early

Published 8:02 pm Monday, November 23, 2009

Avid bargain hunters who roll out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to take advantage of “Black Friday” sales can expected to reap big rewards this year. On Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, retailers have traditionally offered rock-bottom sales on select merchandise to lure throngs of shoppers and kick off a strong holiday shopping season. This year, many retailers have scaled back their inventory to minimize end-of-season markdowns, but while selection may be limited deals are expected to be strong.

“With many stores carrying a more modest inventory, it is wise to shop early for the best selection,” said Ashley Crafton, Marketing Specialist for Walnut Square Mall. “Not only will shoppers find great in-store sales on ‘Black Friday’ and throughout the season, they can download a coupon book with hundreds of dollars in savings from our national retailers from our website at WalnutSquareMall.com.”

According to Wikipedia.com, Black Friday is a term for the Friday after Thanksgiving, which kicks off the holiday shopping season. The term was coined when that day was considered key for some retailers to go from being “in the red” to “in the black” in terms of profit. Black Friday continues to be a significant day for holiday traffic, but in recent years sales have continued to increase throughout the season with the Saturday preceding Christmas Day typically bringing in the year’s highest sales volume for a single day, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

Walnut Square Mall will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Black Friday and will extend its hours through the holidays for shopping convenience. While Walnut Square Mall and its stores will open early on Black Friday, some stores may open even earlier and offer special bargains. Visit WalnutSquareMall.com for details and times.

Crafton also encourages customers to keep up-to-date with season-long events and in-store specials by visiting the Walnut Square Mall Web site regularly at WalnutSquareMall.com.