The country is in a recession. Americans are out of work. But
in a struggling retail market, some savvy marketing and
some patience helped a Baltimore Calvin Klein store see great
sales numbers on Black Friday.
Like many of the stores in the Arundel Mills Mall, Calvin Klein
opened its gates at an eye-rubbing 12 a.m. the day after
Thanksgiving. When they closed at 9 p.m. they had made
almost $53,000.
Some industries are struggling to stay afloat in a sinking
economy. But every year the retail sector counts on the
holiday rush to bail them out. The term 'Black Friday' shows
just how much stake retailers put in the holiday shoppers. It's
the first day of the year that businesses start to see gains.
"It's actually the exact day that many retailers go from being in
the red to being in the black on their profit sheets," said Kristin
Dixon, store manager of Calvin Klein's Baltimore store.
But although the holidays are here, making money is still not
easy. Dixon's store was just an example of good marketing.
Right after Columbus Day, the windows filled up with large
signs telling of a massive sale just around the corner.
Dixon began stressing for the holidays almost six weeks out. She
says the key to turning a profit is perceived value.
"(Customers) perceive Calvin Klein as a high-quality luxury
brand," she says. When they see that they're getting more for less,
they're more willing to spend."
Shopping on Black Friday is not for the weak though. In fact if you
were brave enough to venture out, chances are the shopping
atmosphere felt more like Pamplona than Pittsburgh. Last
year a man was trampled to death after a throng of impatient
shoppers flooded a New York Wal-Mart.
Hailey Lindebak is a 19-year-old sales associate at Calvin Klein who
worked a whopping 12 hrs on the biggest shopping day of the year.
"Every time I come in I'm always laughing at the amount of people
shopping," Lindebak says. "No matter how many times I do it, it
always surprises me."
While no one was trampled, Calvin Klein saw 1,500 people the first
hour after opening its doors. Dixon used one word to describe the
day.
"Insane," she said.
Dixon found it interesting that many more shoppers were paying with
cash instead of credit this year.
"Walking around I saw an awful lot of people pulling cash from fanny
packs," Dixon said. "I think they wanted to have a set amount of
cash to spend without going over a budget."
It doesn't all end in November. Dixon says the day after Christmas is
usually just as busy as Black Friday. Shoppers don't stop coming to the
malls until mid-January.
Mike Timmons, a shopper from Glen Burnie has two young children and
a pregnant wife at home. He says its up to him to bear the burden of
Santa.
"Just the thought of dragging my pregnant wife and kids into this mess
would be nuts," he said. "I'll probably still be buying presents after the
ball drops on 2010."
