Las Vegas Valley retailers report busy shopping day

It wasn't visions of sugar-plum fairies dancing through her head that kept Kaytlin Myers awake until 4 a.m. It was the thought of buying those Ugg boots and the clothing sale at Torrid that motivated her to get up before dawn and enter the Black Friday shopping fray in 33-degree weather.

"I don't like it. I normally don't get up until 8," Myers said as she shopped at Meadows mall with her 1-year-old son in a stroller.

Was it worth it?

"The Uggs could have been cheaper. I got them at Robert Wayne (Footwear) for $139. Dillard's was supposed to be cheaper, but I didn't go in there. I was in such a hurry to beat the crowd. I went back at 8, and they still weren't open," she said.

Disney Store manager Suzy Vincent was swamped by customers looking for toys related to "Tangled" and "Toy Story 3," including the singing Rapunzel doll for $29.50 and a pull-string talking Woody marked down to $20.

She said more than 7,000 customers had poured through the doors of the store at Meadows mall from midnight through the early morning hours on Black Friday, named for the day many retailers' profit margins go from red to black.

"This is the most traffic I've seen, definitely an increase over last year, which is very nice," Vincent said as she quoted prices for customers and kept the line moving through the registers. "A lot of parents came in between midnight and about 4 a.m. to buy toys while one parent stays at home and sleeps with the kids."

That's a tough coin flip to lose.

Vincent said foot traffic and sales at the Disney Store are definitely up from last year, though she could not comment on sales figures.

The National Retail Federation projected $447.1 billion in holiday sales this year, a 2.3 percent increase from 2009, which would be significantly better than the 0.4 percent increase and 3.9 percent decrease in the previous two years. An estimated 138 million shoppers were expected to hit the stores on Black Friday and this weekend.

Aggressive advertising by retailers, including "door-buster" sales at places such as Best Buy, Walmart and Target, prompted some budget-conscious consumers to open up their wallets more.

J.P. Hendricks and his wife, Kara, split up early in the morning -- not in a marital sense, but to cover more ground. He went to Lowe's Home Improvement at
6 a.m. to buy a garage door opener and ladder, and she went to Kmart for toys.

They plan to spend more on Christmas shopping this year because they're buying for nieces and nephews in addition to their own four children.

"We're going a little extra because they've had some tough times and they need help," J.P. Hendricks said. "Our kids might get a little less, but they won't notice."

Bryan Wachter of the Retail Association of Nevada said he is hopeful the rest of the nation sees a 2.3 percent increase in holiday sales, but he is worried about Nevada. The state's high rate of foreclosures and unemployment will restrain consumer spending, he said.

Carole Johanson didn't look restrained. The volunteer for two charities in Las Vegas carried a list of more than 100 toys to buy at the Disney Store, including 20 Winnie the Pooh bears and 20 Mickey Mouse dolls, to be given to child cancer victims in local hospitals.

"They're all plush toys because some of the young children lying in bed can't manipulate their hands, so they're better off having something soft that they can hold and sleep with," Johanson said.

A crowd estimated in the thousands stormed the Walmart in Centennial Hills early Friday to grab early bird and door-buster specials on a variety of items, including electronics. One woman in her 70s collapsed, hit her head and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. Her condition is unknown, but she was awake and talking when she was taken away on a stretcher.

It took longer than usual for medical technicians to reach the woman because she fell near the back of the store and Walmart workers had to escort the medics through dense shopper crowds.

The atmosphere at the store was mostly civil, although some shoppers were upset about an apparent mix-up in selling discounted merchandise too early. By 1:15 a.m, lines stretched in nearly every direction, blocking center aisles and part of the main inside doors. A store worker said it was the largest Black Friday crowd he has ever seen at the store.

A fender-bender jammed traffic on Meadows Lane early Friday as drivers rushed to make it through the left-turn lane off Decatur Boulevard.

Black Friday actually started Thursday. At the Toys R Us store in North Las Vegas, hundreds of people started lining up before lunchtime.

By the 10 p.m. opening, the line stretched for hundreds of yards, ending just shy of the entrance ramp to the Las Vegas Beltway.

Guillermo Calvillo was first in line. He said the line didn't get long until after dark. "It was pretty lonely out here until after 5," he said.

Once the store opened, security guards and employees allowed only a few dozen people in at a time. They would pause the flow for a few moments, then let more people in.

Laura Horvath was near the back of the line. She and two companions waited in the bitter cold as the line began to drag forward.

"We were here last year," said her niece, Brieanna Koester, "but I was like, 'I ain't dressed for this cold.' " She came prepared this year, bundled up in a huge winter coat.

Horvath, who has two children, ages 7 and 9, said she has gotten good bargains at past Black Friday sales. She expected to get more this year.

"It's well worth it," she said.

Vehicle and consumer traffic was much heavier than usual at Town Square, the massive retail and entertainment center on Las Vegas Boulevard, near McCarran International Airport, and it picked up throughout Friday afternoon. The $750 million development by Florida-based Turnberry Associates went into default earlier this year.

A manager at the Gap store said it was nice to see the large crowds, considering how tough retail business has been at Town Square. She said there were more than 1,000 customers Friday, which is a "pretty good" day.

The busiest stores were Old Navy and H&M. Salespeople at H&M said it's always busy on Friday and Saturday, but this was the most crowded they had seen it on the floor. Six cash registers were open with lines five to six deep.

"I like the clothes here. I like how they fit me," said Hector Betancourt, a 20-year-old student at Art Institute of Las Vegas. "I wanted to shop for new clothes, and I don't have much money. The prices are pretty decent. There's other places that have outrageous prices."

H&M had embellished women's tank tops for $12.95, cropped blazers for $19.95 and ruffle detail blouses for $17.95.

At Old Navy, shoppers could choose skinny cargos and sparkle tanks for $10 and sweaters for $15. Seven registers were open, serving a line of about 20 customers.

A couple who did not disclose their names said they drove 80 miles from Mesquite to shop in Las Vegas, picking up a printer cartridge at Fry's Electronics.

Melissa Warren, who handles public relations for General Growth Properties in Las Vegas, said the Fashion Show, Meadows and Boulevard malls experienced exceptionally strong traffic and sales starting with Thanksgiving Day openings, Black Friday midnight openings and 4 a.m. openings.

"The best news of all, normally on Black Friday, there is a slowdown after the initial rush and openings, but traffic has been steady and strong at all three centers," she said.

Old Navy at the Boulevard reported double Thanksgiving Day sales from last year and had more than 250 people in line when the store reopened at midnight, Warren said.

Review-Journal reporters Richard Lake and Mark Davis contributed to this report. Contact reporter Hubble Smith at hsmith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0491.