B.R. retailers anticipate brisk Black Friday

As Black Friday looms, area shopping centers are working to draw their share of the bargain-hunting holiday masses. “We anticipate a madhouse,” says John Taylor, general manager at Tanger Outlet Mall in Gonzales. “Every available piece of real estate we have is for parking, and some even park across the street,” he says. Taylor says the mall will open at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night, with complimentary coffee and hot chocolate for shoppers. Raffles for gift cards and a 51-inch TV giveaway will also happen during the night. He expects 15,000 to 20,000 people between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., based on traffic in years past. “There’s no reason why it won’t be the same this year,” he says. Cortana Mall, meanwhile, is preparing for its first overnight Black Friday. The mall will open at midnight on Thanksgiving. “This is a first-time adventure for us, so we’re not sure what to expect,” says marketing manager Jess Heid. “We’re making it up as we go along.” Customers spending $100 or more will earn a free plush bear at customer service, Heid says. Barbara Jans, marketing manager for the Mall of Louisiana, is expecting “one of the better shopping days in recent history.” Shoppers who spend $200 that morning can receive a $20 Shop Etc. gift card. Both Cortana and the Mall of Louisiana will work on similar schedules: Macy’s and a few other stores will open at midnight, with JCPenney and Sears following suit at 4 a.m. All other stores will open at 6 a.m. and remain open until 10 p.m., with extended hours for the rest of the holiday season. The New York Times, citing figures from MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, reports that consumers nationwide spent $18.6 billion on Black Friday in 2010, and that shopping traffic has risen sharply in malls and other retailers throughout 2011. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect a 3.5% surge in November traffic for stores open at least a year.