Black Friday Guide 2012

Thursday, November 22, 2012

L A V I V R U S

3000

E D I GU

Don’t miss this opportunity to reach over 110,000 RECORD READERS as they prepare to spend their holiday cash…

$

L A C e O d i u L G l a v P i v r u S O y a SH k Frid

SHOP LOCAL SWEEPSTAKES Enter for your chance to win one of seven cash prizes.

c a l B r u o Y

On Thanksgiving Day, The Record will publish our annual shopping guide to help readers survive the

BIGGEST SHOPPING DAY OF THE YEAR

Details inside!

L CA O

BUY LOC AL

LIVE L

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L A SH C s e k O a L t KE

November 23rd is Black Friday

E E P IT H

s p e e Sw

In addition we will be giving away up to

$3000THE

RECORD’S DEFINITIVE GUIDE

in our

ALL NEW SHOP LOCAL SWEEPSTAKES which is designed to bring more holiday traffic into your store.

TO FINDING THE BEST DEALS AND SAVING TIME ON ONE OF THE All ¼ page or larger ads include a banner online at BUSIEST SHOPPING DAYS OF THE YEAR www.recordnet.com Sign up early and your business will be listed in the sweepstakes promotional ads

Publish Date: Thursday, November 22, 2012 • Advertising Deadline: Thursday, November 1, 2012 • Format: Tabloid

Contact your Record Account Executive for details. 209-546-8200

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Shop ’til you Drop

Strategy Guide

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Black Friday Survival Guide

Home is where the bargains are 70% of money stays where it is spent

By Douglass Wilhoit

also to help the local businesses of our city and county to continue ach year, the heaviest local shopto provide services ping season starts with what has and jobs long after the become known as Black Friday.

Christmas/holiday This has been true from the time shopping season is President Franklin Roosevelt, in an over.

Douglass attempt to help the economy during the Small local busiWilhoit Great Depression, moved Thanksgiving nesses are the largest from the last Thursday of to the fourth employers nationally Promotes Thursday of November in 1939 so as to and in our community, buying make the Christmas shopping season therefore providing the goods from Stockton one week longer. most jobs to residents. merchants.

His hope was to turn the balance It is also important to sheets of businesses from a negative “red note that local busiink” to a positive “black ink.” nesses are owned by And the reason to shop here in Stock- people who live in this community, are ton and San Joaquin County is simple: less likely to leave and are more invested 70 percent of all dollars spent here stay in the future of Stockton and San here to help our businesses and commu- Joaquin County. nity prosper.

It is as true here in Stockton/San This is also the theme being emphaJoaquin County — as it is nationwide — sized this year by Gary J. Long of Gary that where we shop, where we eat and J. Long Jewelers, who in June was have fun, helps to make our community installed as the president of the Greater home. Each one of a kind business here Stockton Chamber of Commerce for is an integral part of the character of 2012-13.

Stockton and San Joaquin County.

Knowing how much these dollars We here at the chamber know that impact our area, I cannot fathom going when we are in a local business, for out of town or to the Internet when close whatever goods or service we are seekto 100 percent of what you may desire ing, it is not just a shopping experience can be found right here at home and is but also a social and community expericarried by local stores and shops, which ence. are owned and staffed by your neighWe meet the nicest people, and that bors, friends and even members of your is truly what this community in known families. And if what you’re looking for is for — its friendly and helpful business not at a local shop, they can help you find owners and residents alike. it and order it for you.

Our wish is that all of you have a This annual and, for some, exciting happy and blessed Thanksgiving and day of shopping, should be carried on all Christmas holiday season, and please year long to not only make shopping fun, keep it local by shopping Stockton and successful and convenient for you but San Joaquin first and always!

Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce

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“It is as true here in Stockton/ San Joaquin County — as it is nationwide — that where we shop, where we eat and have fun, helps to make our community home.”

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Black Friday Survival Guide

Local retailers finding customers online

By Reed Fujii Record Staff Writer

STOCKTON — Dennis Specht is an old-fashioned retailer.

He owns two brick-and-mortar storefronts — Cazale’s Florist in downtown Stockton and Stockton Floral in north Stockton — that account for more than 90 percent of his business.

And Specht is honest about what he thinks of his current online site — an e-commerce site operated by flower order broker Teleflora but that displays Cazale’s phone number, address and description.

“As far as … ordering online, it’s been a losing proposition for years,” he said.

“With all these additional charges that go to online stuff, it’s not a good thing for us.”

And his customers get far fewer blooms for their bucks, as well.

But Specht is not about to give up on the Internet. Quite the contrary, he’s in the process of developing a new SEE ONLINE, PAGE A5

Jeff Fields, owner of Peck’s Jewelers in Stockton, talks with customer Bernice Weilburg.

Fields, whose grandfather started the business in 1945, has a website that he uses to bring customers into his store instead of online sales.

CRAIG SANDERS/ The Record

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Black Friday Survival Guide “(Customers) don’t ever say, ‘We saw your ad in the phone book,’ ” Peck’s Jewelers owner Jeff Fields said. “They say, ‘I was at your website and noticed you’re a certified gemologist appraiser.’ ” Craig Sanders/ The Record

ONLINE: Web replaces phone book when looking for nearby businesses Continued from PAGE A4

website — cazalesflowers.com — that’s more about presenting the qualities of his business of providing flowers for weddings, parties and other special occasions and less about touting generic seasonal flower arrangements.

“We’re trying to get that more to our level,” he said. “I want it to be a little bit more sophisticated, a little bit more about us.”

Retail businesses need to be on the Internet, said Nate McBride, acting director of the San Joaquin Delta College Small Business Development Center.

“People don’t use their Yellow Pages anymore,” he said. “They’re all getting on their phones or computers or tablets and looking for businesses.”

While consumers often prefer to be able to see, touch or try on certain products — such as flower arrangements, flowers or shoes — a website can help attract new customers, let repeat customers easily reorder goods or services and provide a wider geographic reach.

“It’s easy enough and cheap enough to have an online presence,” McBride said. “There are very few businesses that wouldn’t benefit from that, … especially for finding new customers.”

Dillard’s operates full-line department stores in 29 states, including a Stockton store, but its website, dillards. com, greatly expands its reach.

“We think of it as a separate store, and it’s our largest store,” said Julie Bull, a spokeswoman for the Little Rock, Ark.based retailer.

Dillards.com reaches customers in all 50 states, plus a number of foreign countries, since it began offering international deliveries several weeks ago.

But it’s more than just a shopping site, Bull said.

“It allows us to educate our customers regarding fashion trends, hot items, new products and in-store events,” she said.

Dillards.com is a complement to our store operations and vice versa.”

While Dillard’s does not separately break out its online sales, Bull said that channel is rapidly growing and being supported by a new fulfillment center opened in March.

Peck’s Jewelers is all about its handson, brick-and-mortar retail presence.

Peck’s is Stockton’s oldest family owned and operated jewelry store, founded by Peck Fields in 1945 and now run by his grandson Jeff Fields. It recently moved to a new storefront in Stonecreek Village on Pacific Avenue after 31 years in nearby Sherwood Mall.

“I would never buy a diamond online from a supplier online. That’s never done,” Jeff Fields said. “Why should an end buyer do it?”

But he is sure to maintain a website — pecksjewelers.com — to bring in new customers, who may not know of his business’ long history or even seen the new store.

“You would want to assume everyone’s heard of Peck’s, but that’s not true,” Fields said. “(Customers) don’t ever say, ‘We saw your ad in the phone book.’ They say, ‘I was at your website and noticed you’re a certified gemologist appraiser.’ ” That’s just what he’s looking for from his online presence.

“I’m more in trying to build a relationship than to make a sale,” Fields said.

Contact reporter Reed Fujii at (209) 546-8253 or rfujii@recordnet.com.

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Black Friday Survival Guide Plenty of local places to check out

By Keith Reid Record Staff Writer

STOCKTON — There are a number of San Joaquin County shops that offer refuge for those who shudder because they perceive Black Friday as a day that begins in pre-dawn darkness and envelopes an endless line of bargain hunters waiting outside a big box store the day after Thanksgiving.

If that describes you, then sleep in and let others fight for the low-priced — albeit high-definition — televisions, laptops or other promised advertised items. There are shopping destinations that will wait for you and help you find more thoughtful holiday gifts.

Store owners such as Rae Rubio of Rae’s Rags & Riches Boutique in Stockton hopes to attract buyers this holiday SEE LOCAL, PAGE G9

CLIFFORD OTO/The Record

Rae Rubio owns Rae’s Rags & Riches Boutique on the Miracle Mile in Stockton.

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Black Friday Survival Guide

LOCAL: Miracle Mile a small-business haven Continued from PAGE G8

season with vintage furniture items, artwork, modern industrial decor and other things.

“If someone wants a classy and unique item that will make somebody laugh or cry and evoke emotion because they know somebody really cared, that’s what I want my store to provide,” Rubio said.

“The biggest tool in my arsenal is that I’m not a big box. I’m not going down the path of huge discounts, I can’t afford it.

But what I can provide is an adventure for somebody who is looking for something classy and unique.”

Shoppers who want to avoid larger retailers such as Target and Walmart can instead shop the Miracle Mile.

Maybe a box of cigars from The Cigar Loft or an eclectic mythological item from Dragonfairy, for example.

“What you’ll find here is personal

Rae Rubio, owner of Rae’s Rags & Riches in Stockton: “The biggest tool in my arsenal is that I’m not a big box.

I’m not going down the path of huge discounts, I can’t afford it. But what I can provide is an adventure for somebody who is looking for something classy and unique.” service in a stress-free environment,” said Dragonfairy owner Heather Torres. “There’s not a lot of lines, but you can find a gift that will be personal and thoughtful.”

The zany Lodi toy store Zoop A Loop has clothing, games, puzzles and other toys that children love.

While in downtown Lodi, Lodi Cooks is renowned for its kitchen gadgets and cookware. Cheese Central can help even novices find the perfect pairing of cheese with a Lodi wine that will impress even a connoisseur.

valleymarketplace .com

and Theadora all offer women’s apparel.

Zuesters, also in Lincoln Center, is a great place to shop for teenagers.

Don’t forget that Stonecreek Village is a shopping destination as well.

Regallo Bello home décor has items to suit any taste, and Baker’s Boutique is a store with gifts for the skilled and experimental cook in the family. Hand on Education Supply has educational toys, and Roger Dunn Golf, well, that’s “fore” any duffer or scratch golfer with an obsession for the links.

And don’t think you have to rush.

“We tried a big blowout event last year on Black Friday, and the store was empty,” Torres said of Dragonfairy, adding that “we’re here for when the customers need some stress-free shopping time.”

For someone looking to impress by giving jewelry, Manteca’s New York Diamonds makes custom jewelry. This year, it’s the so-called rainbow diamonds that owner Patty Reese said she believes will be the biggest hit.

“They come in all the colors of the rainbow, and we have quite a bit of inventory,” Reese said, adding that it takes about a week to put a custom set on order.

Clothes are a universal gift, and Stock- Contact reporter Keith Reid at (209) ton has a variety of boutiques. Lincoln 546-8257 or kreid@recordnet.com. Visit Center, for example, where Flair, Fina his blog at recordnet.com/lodiblog.

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Black Friday Survival Guide

How to find deals

By Genette Brookshire Record Staff Writer

Whether or not you hit the stores on Black Friday, there will still be lots of holiday shopping to do.

There will be plenty of sales to count on to save money, but there are also a few tricks every bargain hunter uses to squeeze the most out of their holiday budgets.

Shop local

You can catch various deals by shopping locally. Of course, the advantage of walking into a brick-and-mortar store is in being able to see, touch and compare up close what you’re looking for.

Use the coupon

centage of their earnings with you.

That percentage can range from just a few cents to nearly half the purchase price, and with more banks and credit cards offering cash back deals, there are few reasons not to take advantage.

Institutions such as Chase, Citibank and Bank of America will deposit cash into your account every month.

If your bank or credit card doesn’t offer cash-back rewards, you still have options. Several websites, including ebates.com and fatwallet.com, will reward you for your purchases.

Double cash-back offers are updated frequently, and several stores will offer coupons and special deals in addition to the cash back.

Ebates will send your cash back every quarter. It can feel like a long time to wait, but it’s worth it in February, when your holiday shopping nets you a big bonus.

Don’t leave home (or hit the order button) without checking online for coupons or discount codes. Most credit cards offer coupons in addition to rewards.

Load discounts onto your card before Free shipping you shop for even better deals.

Make even the sweetest deal sweeter Retailmenot.com and couponcabin. with free shipping. Several retailers, com will help you save at local stores as including L.L. Bean and Zappos, offer well as at online retailers. free shipping with no minimum order.

Amazon, Target and Nordstrom will Search for the deal ship your order for free with a minimum There are several websites full of deal purchase. devotees to help you score the best prodUpgrade your shipping with subscripucts for the best prices. tion services such as shoprunner.com Woot.com has deals of its own and a and Amazon.com. section devoted to community-sourced Shoprunner offers free two-day shipbargains. Slickdeals.net will help you ping for a variety of stories including find some of the best Internet deals and Toys “R” Us, Lord and Taylor, and Amersome of the best local deals, too. (Last ican Eagle for $79 a year. Find a free trial year’s $121 for a KitchenAid Artisan offer at shoprunner.com stand mixer? Yes, please!)

Amazon Prime gives members free two-day shipping on items it sells, as well Take advantage of the links as some products from third-party sellSome websites earn a commission ers. One-day shipping is $3.99 per item. each time you use their link to visit an Contact copy editor Genette Brookshire online retailer and make a purchase. at (209) 943-8582 or gbrookshire@ Sometimes these sites will share a per- recordnet.com.

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Black Friday Survival Guide

CRAIG SANDERS/Record File 2010

With shoppers set to begin bargain hunting tonight, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office and the Stockton Police Department are dispensing advice to shoppers to help keep their day free of crime.

How to keep yourself safe

By Jordan Guinn Record Staff Writer

STOCKTON — The holiday shopping season officially begins Friday, with the festivities starting before the sun rises as eager buyers form lines hours before stores open their doors.

Black Friday means great deals on televisions, huge markdowns on clothing and two-for-one specials. It also invites pushing, shoving and rising tempers as customers race to the aisles once the doors fly open. Additionally, shoppers may also face robbers looking to victimize someone in a parking lot.

With the potential dangers in mind, local law enforcement agencies are offering tips to help prevent a shopper from becoming a victim this holiday season.

The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, which patrols Lincoln Center, suggests not parking near vans with tinted windows and not approaching your car if suspicious people are in the area.

The Sheriff’s Office also endorses citizens asking a security guard for an escort to ensure they get into their car safely.

The Stockton Police Department suggests similar precautions and urges shoppers to be aware of their surroundings and to avoid being distracted by an electronic

device such as a cellphone while walking through a parking lot.

Robberies at ATMs are also a regular occurrence in Stockton. Police suggest using ATMs only in well-lit areas or ones inside stores. To protect against identity theft, officials urge customers to cover the keypad when entering their PINs and to avoid throwing receipts into a trash can near the machine.

Since chain snatchings and jewelry robberies are a hot crime trend this year, law enforcement officials also urge shoppers to avoid wearing or displaying their expensive jewelry in public.

Police said shopping in groups is also something to consider, as larger groups are less likely to be victimized.

And while it may be more efficient to knock out all your shopping at once, authorities warn that all of those unguarded packages in your car make a tempting target for thieves.

If possible, police say to keep purchases hidden out of sight. Stash them in the trunk of a vehicle or, better yet, take them home between stops at stores.

And while this is the season of giving and goodwill, officials said it’s also the season of predators capitalizing on that compassion. Beware of con artists looking to take advantage of you, financially or otherwise.

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Black Friday Survival Guide Why my Black Friday was a real turkey Tales from the front lines, circa 2011

By Jo Ann Kirby Record Staff Writer

I lied.

Last year, I said I wasn’t going to queue up for shopping on Black Friday.

I just wasn’t feeling it.

Something about all those stores opening on Thanksgiving Day felt wrong.

Then, sometime around 10 p.m. that evening, I had a perverse desire to join the masses.

I headed to Toys “R” Us in Stockton, where the line snaked around past UJ’s.

What a mistake.

Sketchy-looking characters were cruising slowly up and down the parking lot.

There was definitely a different vibe

going on in the actual line as well, where many bleary-eyed shoppers had carts full of screaming kids.

And from the smells and sounds of the peeps around me, I deduced there had been some pre-shopping partying taking place. A whole Thanksgiving Day of it.

So, I did what any desperate mom would do.

I called my husband for backup.

And then, as the French narrator on “SpongeBob Squarepants” would say, “TWO DAYS LATER” we finally made it inside.

OK. It was an hour later, but in that crowd, time ticked S-L-O-W-L-Y. Regrets, much?

I think yes.

SEE TURKEY, PAGE G17

Chris Ware/Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader

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Black Friday Survival Guide TURKEY: All that, and one kid didn’t even appreciate it Continued from PAGE G16

Here is where my failure to read fine print got the best of me.

Turns out some of what was in my cart didn’t actually go on sale until dawn.

So, I did what any desperate mom would do.

I hid the stuff in the diaper department and went back for it after my Target run.

Over at Target, the ambience was a bit improved.

However, because we weren’t there exactly when the doors opened at midnight, we missed a few items on our list.

No worries, though.

In the checkout line, I used my superawesome skills of observation.

As we moved closer to the cash register, it happened.

Overambitious shoppers did a little mental math and started ditching stuff — leaving much-coveted blockbuster deals in the shampoo aisle.

So, I did what any desperate mom would do.

I snatched up those would-be gifts.

Score!

We finally made it home at 3 a.m.

And stayed up until 5 a.m. wrapping those gifts, stopping long enough to dash back to Toys “R” Us to purchase my hidden loot.

All that to save 50 percent off on a Dream Dazzler makeup kit for my daughter.

Was it worth it?

Um, no.

I had to go to work at 9 a.m. that day.

If you’ve ever had jet lag, you know how I felt.

Not good.

So, I did what any desperate mom would do.

I thought happy thoughts.

Chris Ware/Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader

The author’s daylong shopping extravaganza turned out to be a mixed bag.

You know? Visions of my beautiful children being ever so overjoyed on Christmas Day! Right.

That morning finally came, and the offspring tore through the wrapping paper at warp speed.

Much to my horror, in the midst of all that Christmas cheer, my middle child stomped off to his bedroom in a snit because “Santa” didn’t bring him ONE of the things on his too-long list.

Are you kidding me?

So, I did what any desperate mom would do. I went back to bed and hid under my covers.

Bah, humbug.

Contact reporter Jo Ann Kirby at (209) 546-8256 or jkirby@recordnet. com.

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Black Friday Survival Guide

Five trends likely to shape 2012 shopping

By Ely Portillo The Charlotte(N.C.) Observer

Holiday shopping is upon us, with retailers in the middle of the crucial sprint from Halloween to Christmas, and Americans are expected to spend more on gifts than last year as the economy slowly recovers.

The National Retail Federation has forecast the country’s holiday spending will rise 4.1 percent, to about $586 billion, an average of about $750 per holiday shopper. That’s a slower growth rate than in 2011, when holiday sales increased at a 5.6 percent clip.

“This is the most optimistic forecast NRF has released since the recession.

In spite of the uncertainties that exist in our economy and among consumers, we believe we’ll see solid holiday sales growth this year,” NRF Chief Executive Matthew Shay said in a statement.

Here are five holiday shopping trends this year: Shopping started earlier than ever: It seems that holiday creep knows no

bounds. It’s tough to say who’s behind the seemingly ever-earlier surge in shopping: While many consumers bemoan the ever-earlier decorations, surveys also show that more people than ever are shopping early this year, and retailers follow the money.

Twenty-two percent of consumers said they planned to start their holiday shopping in October this year, up from 20 percent last year.

Black Friday might be further diluted: The day after Thanksgiving is synonymous with two things: groans about overeating and a day of intense bargainhunting at the mall. But for the past few years, the day after Thanksgiving hasn’t been the only day to indulge in shopping.

Black Friday is giving way to shopping on Thanksgiving Day itself, in stores and online.

Online spending is also increasing during the holiday itself. About 22 percent of consumers shopped online during Thanksgiving last year, up from 15 percent in 2008. ComScore reported online sales grew 18 percent on Thanks-

giving last year, to $479 million.

But don’t count Black Friday out.

According to ShopperTrak, Black Friday remained the busiest shopping day of the year in 2011, followed by the Saturday before Christmas.

Layaway is back and bigger than last year: A few years ago, layaway was effectively gone, replaced by credit cards as an effective way for people to purchase on credit. But with the recession and the credit crunch, layaway has made a comeback, with major retailers bringing it back.

Here’s how layaway works: You pay a small fee, often $5, and the retailer holds your goods for you. You make payments every week for a set schedule, and get the item when you’ve paid it off. If you don’t complete your payments, you get a refund for everything but the fee.

Gift cards still top people’s wish lists: Gift cards are the single most popular item on people’s wish lists, according to a survey by the NRF. Of those surveyed, 60 percent said they want gift cards, followed by apparel at 49 percent and books, CDs,

DVDs and video games at 46 percent.

And with relatively new restrictions on how long the cards have to last before they expire (note that gift cards do not expire in California) and how much retailers can take in hidden fees, they’re a safer option for consumers.

There’s also a growing number of websites, such as PlasticJungle.com and GiftCards.com, that allow people to sell gift cards they don’t want.

Online, mobile growth boom continues: Sales on the Internet and mobile devices are still the fastest-growing segment of holiday purchases. The NRF estimates this year that online sales will grow 12 percent during the holidays, to $96 billion.

More than half of consumers surveyed, 52 percent, planned to shop for some gifts online this year. That’s the highest percentage since the NRF started its surveys and up from 47 percent last year.

The NRF found that nine out of 10 retailers surveyed will offer some form of free shipping this year for online orders.

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