‘Black Friday’ shoppers lay siege to the malls

Fights and arrests in some places
Big retailers spend months planning how deep their discounts will be, even running Black Friday dress rehearsals. But this year’s crush of shoppers overwhelmed some of them, like Prime Outlets in Gaffney, S.C., where traffic backed up for a mile at midnight.

At Tanger Factory Outlets in Bluffton, S.C., the parking lot was filled to capacity by 12:15 a.m. And traffic lined up on the exit to Georgia Square Mall near Atlanta stretched a half-mile back onto Interstate 85.

Managers called police, ambulances and firefighters to help with crowd control at Towne Square Mall in Boise, Idaho, where an estimated 10,000 people lined up to charge through the doors when they opened at 1 a.m. Officials said some doors were broken and some customers were injured in the scramble.

“We just didn’t anticipate the crowd being quite so pushy,” said Darcy Shippy of General Growth Properties, which manages the mall. “Literally, I was out there letting in the first 500 people in and literally almost got pushed over by people.”

Fights broke out at Altamonte Mall in Altamonte Springs, Fla., where doors opened at 1 a.m. and eager shoppers clogged the entrance to Macy’s.

Safe shopping tips Police say throngs of shoppers are inviting targets for thieves. They offer these tips: — Do not leave valuables in view in your vehicle. — Lock your vehicle. — With the approach of cold weather, do not start your vehicle and let it run in your driveway. — Be aware of your surroundings. If you see someone suspicious in your neighborhood, call police. — Park in well-lighted places in parking lots after dark. — Items are always safer in the trunk, but some thieves will break into trunks after watching shoppers fill them with purchases, so load the trunk just before you move the vehicle. — Shop in pairs. There is generally more safety in numbers.     — When you return to your car, make sure to keep your car key in your hand.     — Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay for purchases with checks, credit, charge or debit cards. Carry cash and wallets in a front pocket to reduce your chances of having your pocket picked. — Avoid carrying a purse, if possible. Sources: Greenville, S.C., police/WYFF-TV

“They pushed everybody and, oh, it was bad — people were fighting each other,” said Christiana Doroteo, who was caught in the mob. “There was a pregnant lady, and they pushed her. Then somebody got in fights over the kids, pushing the kids. They pushed me into the door.”

“It was like you were a pancake,” she added.

Two overeager shoppers were arrested Friday morning after leaving a two-year-old child unattended in a parked car at a mall in Hagerstown, Md., where many stores opened at midnight.

Another shopper saw the child crying about 3 a.m. in the unheated car as temperatures dipped to 36 degrees and called authorities. The child was reported in good condition Friday.

Police warned, meanwhile, that the throngs of shoppers were easy pickings for thieves. Police sent a memo to Greenville, S.C., residents urging them to shop in pairs because “there is generally more safety in numbers.”

Key Christmas indicator
Sales like Friday’s are important indicators for more than just retail profits. Consumer spending makes up two-thirds of all U.S. economic activity, and how consumers spend this holiday season could determine the direction of the overall economy, CNBC’s Margaret Brennan reported.

“Everyone is holding their breath trying to figure out what the underlying consumer demand will be, not just for holiday season and fourth quarter, but for 2008,” said Jeff Klinefelter, an analyst with
Piper Jaffray.

That is why Black Friday is the closest thing to a contact sport in the cutthroat world of retail, even though it is not necessarily the most profitable day for retailers. It can give analysts a clue to what will happen on the weekend before Christmas, which is traditionally when sales soar to their highest.

“We think there are price savings that will occur over Black Friday weekend, and we think they’ll continue throughout this season,” said Dana Telsey, chief executive of Telsey Advisory Group, a consumer research firm. “We’re expecting the level of savings to the consumer this year will be greater than it was last year.”

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