Tips for holiday shopping success
By Greg Wiles
Advertiser Staff Writer
Let the madness begin.
The holiday shopping season marks its traditional start tomorrow as retailers offer deeply discounted "door busters" to get shoppers spending.
KB Toys at Pearlridge Center will open at midnight tonight, while the Coach, Tommy Hilfiger and Guess stores at Waikele Premium Outlets will greet bleary-eyed shoppers at 4 a.m.
Wal-Mart's doors on Ke'eaumoku Street will be unlocked at 5 a.m. with deals such as DVD recorder/players for $85 and 15-inch LCD-screen television sets for $194. Ace Hardware stores open at 7 a.m. with early bird specials such as $10 electric sanders that are free after a rebate.
The 4 1/2-week shopping season can account for 40 percent of some retailers' annual revenues. Hawai'i stores are hoping for a good Christmas, given the state's robust economy. Hawai'i's 2.7 percent unemployment rate is the lowest in the nation.
Retailers hope the strong job market is producing enough income gains that people will overcome 12 percent higher gasoline prices compared to last year and increase their holiday spending.
Pearlridge Center is expecting a good holiday season, given sales increases this year, said Scott Creel, the mall's director of marketing.
"If our immediate past history is any indication, we're very bullish on the holiday season," Creel said. "When everyone is working and everyone is making money, their disposable income is up."
Tomorrow is expected to be the second-busiest day of this year's shopping season behind the Saturday before Christmas. The National Retail Federation forecasts as many as 130 million people will shop this weekend.
"We're expecting a good season," said Jasmine Tso, marketing and promotions director for Ala Moana Center, the state's largest shopping venue. Ala Moana is projecting a "high single-digit" percentage increase over sales last year, Tso said.
"We've been seeing increases every month since January."
Waikele Premium Outlets is having a three-day sale to attract shoppers this weekend. The retail center's parking lots are expected to be busy throughout the day, though parking will be easier to find during evening hours, assistant general manager Conchita Malaqui said in an e-mail.
Pearlridge's management expects lines will ring around the Toys "R" Us store at least once as people wait for it to open tomorrow morning. At Circuit City the line will probably stretch about a quarter of a mile, management forecasts.
Those missing out on the early-morning specials tomorrow won't necessarily miss the best deals of the season, according to holiday shopping tips from Consumer Reports. Retailers sometimes offer steeper discounts as Christmas nears, the nonprofit consumer group noted.
However, shoppers holding out for late-season bargains may not find the exact size, color or item style they are looking for. Hot-selling toys, such as the new Xbox 360 game console, sometimes sell out. So toys are among the first things gift-givers seek.
Other tips include:
"That's the key, lists and preparation," Ala Moana's Tso said.
"Visit Web sites of shopping centers you want to visit and make note of print and TV advertisements to see where the sales are," Waikele's Malaqui said. "Shoppers can then figure out which stores to go to for the best bargains, and in what order to visit them."
Other tips from local retailers include shopping on a Monday or Tuesday, because stores get busier as the week progresses.
Shoppers who disdain crowds also might consider waiting until early next week to visit stores. There is typically a lull in the shopping rush in late November and early December, after which activity will begin building to a peak during the final weekend before Christmas.
Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.
