Many businesses are opening up their doors early again this year to offer Black Friday shoppers extra savings during the holiday’s first official shopping day of the season.
Cape Coral businesses all share the same optimism that this holiday season will kick off with steady traffic on Black Friday and will continue to be a success until Christmas, even in these hard economic times.
Kohls Manager David Baty said the store, which is located at 513 SW Pine Island Rd, will open at 4 a.m. with more than 300 early-bird specials in all of the departments until 1 p.m.
He said he is very optimistic and believes he will have the same amount of traffic he did last year despite the economy.
Baty said he anticipates absolute madness with long lines and a lot of customers.
The store will offer special discounts until they close at midnight on Friday.
“We are ready for sales,” he said about Black Friday.
Lois Ann Murray, owner of The Red Barn said the store will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. with specials that range from 10 to 50 percent off.
She said she is very optimistic about this holiday season and hopes she will receive a steady crowd on Black Friday.
“I have had a really good start of the season,” she explained due to their super opening on Labor Day after being closed for three months. “I expect a really great season as I look at what sales I had last year, I am already above that.”
Murray said she has antiques, collectibles, home decor, estate furnishing and garden items in her store.
“People are looking for bargains and I know people can find them in my store because I know I have great prices,” Murray said.
She said she anticipates she will sell items like Christmas decor and jewelry on Black Friday.
Tom Rosanio, owner of Zak’s Jewelry said although they will have regular business hours on Black Friday from 9:30 until 5:30 p.m., the store will have in-store specials for tennis bracelets and diamond earrings.
“We are hoping for the best,” Rosanio said about Black Friday, but “historically people are mall shoppers and big department store shoppers on that day.”
He said that the store will get their fair share of traffic during the busiest shopping day of the year.
“We are optimistic again that we are hoping we will have a good holiday season,” Rosanio said. “We are seeing a little bit more action as time goes by, people seem to feel more at ease for spending some money.”
Zak’s Jewelry is located at 1314 Cape Coral Parkway.
According to the International Council of Shopping (ICSC), Black Friday will attract more than 26 percent of all U.S. households the day after Thanksgiving.
In addition, ICSC said that more than 36 percent of shoppers will be between the ages of 18 to 34 years old.
Businesses will be busy between the hours of 4 and 8 a.m. with 36.2 percent of shoppers arriving in the stores and again between 8 a.m. and noon with 28 percent, the ICSC stated.
The Cape Coral Police Department will increase their presence on Black Friday in parking lots of the main shopping areas during the early morning hours to ensure safety for shoppers.
Crime prevention activities will be conducted by patrol officers to look for insecure vehicles and valuables that are left in plain sight. District Resource Officers will patrol parking lots on both Segways and bicycles and traffic units will assist with traffic control and enforcement.
“The ‘Black Friday’ event is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and stores will be opening early and having special sales,” Deputy Chief Bart Connelly said in a prepared statement. “We want to have a police presence at these locations to help deter opportunities for retail thefts and auto burglaries, and address any traffic congestion or parking issues that may arise.”