Holiday shopping began for many people even before this year’s Halloween decorations went up, but the lure of the legendary day after Thanksgiving shopping experience remains strong for folks like Sherry Hammonds of Aurora, who came to Fox Valley Mall in the city on Friday.
“This is something that I just do every year. This is a tradition. You have to do it, even though some people started shopping a month ago,” Hammonds said. “I might be getting too old for this, but it’s a generational thing, especially for me and my daughter. We do it every year.”
Despite an economy that continues to reel from inflation, predictions for a robust holiday season remain optimistic as shoppers descended on malls and stores Friday in search of that perfect gift.
Earlier this month, the Washington D.C.-based National Retail Federation claimed that holiday spending this year “will grow between 6% and 8% over 2021 to between $942.6 billion and $960.4 billion,” a number that would shatter last year’s previous all-time record of nearly $890 billion.
In a press release, National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay predicted shoppers will do whatever is necessary to buy the things they want for loved ones despite inflation.
“While consumers are feeling the pressure of inflation and higher prices … consumers remain resilient and continue to engage in commerce,” Shay said. “In the face of these challenges, many households will supplement spending with savings and credit to provide a cushion and result in a positive holiday season.”
Fox Valley Mall Senior General Manager Scott Samson said he expects another strong season ahead as supply issues that plagued merchants last year have been somewhat resolved and inflation “seems to be affecting more of the larger ticket items like cars.”
“In talking with some of our more popular stores, merchants are satisfied with their inventory levels. The worst thing for a retailer isn’t about not having sales it’s the potential to have the sales and not having the inventory to satisfy the demand,” he said. “That had been the case last year. Prices are not going to be inflated if people have to move their inventory. Inflation is being driven more by groceries and gas and high-ticket items. But the impact on holiday gift giving isn’t as severe.”
The biggest challenge retailers face, he said, is hiring and retaining enough employees, something that he said “is even improving over the last month.”
Samson said that despite consumers shopping earlier each year, the tradition of shopping the day after Thanksgiving remains strong – “a holiday that had meaning when it started with door busters and still continues because it’s a holiday.”
“It is still the biggest shopping day of the year because it’s a multi-generational tradition,” he said. “I believe consumers will be more selective in terms of comparison shopping and price and I would imagine their budget management overall would mean starting earlier, looking for deals earlier. When we get to the point where online orders can’t be guaranteed by Christmas then I believe it will be a little less restrictive in terms of the budget.”
Friday’s sunny and mild temperatures created a rush at the Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora, where cars along Farnsworth Avenue were backed up more than a mile from the mall’s parking lot.
At Fox Valley Mall, Hammonds said she was looking for gifts “for my son and my husband.”
“They’re the hardest to find,” she said. “I probably will spend the same as last year because I kind of save up for it.”
Mary Herman of Seneca likewise said shopping the day after Thanksgiving “is a tradition for me, with my kids” and called it “a lot of fun as you get to spend time with family.”
“I have no idea what I’m looking for this year but I like looking and picking out things for my kids rather than shopping online,” she said.
Ariel Diamond of Minooka had a pile of bags at her feet well before 11 a.m. Friday at Fox Valley Mall and said that she and her sisters “go every year and shop the day after Thanksgiving.”
“I’m with my oldest sister and this is a tradition. We’ve done this the past six years,” she said. “Normally we just go for people watching, but this year we actually bought some Christmas gifts. If I know somebody is going to like it, I’m like, OK, this is your Christmas gift.”
Sally Mussmann of Fulton, along with a daughter, a sister, niece and sister-in-law, were wearing look-alike hats and sweatshirts in honor of their late mother who passed away 36 years ago and always made shopping the day after Thanksgiving an annual tradition.
“Our mom used to do this (shop on Friday) and she passed away from breast cancer and we do this in memory of her,” she explained. “We have our outfits that say Evie’s Angels and every year we add something to it. We’ve been doing this for over 20 years.”
David Sharos is freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
