Byline: James Amos
Nov. 22--Local merchants are expecting a lot of business Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that annually signals the start of the Christmas shopping season, although Pueblo's corporate-owned retail stores mostly refused to comment. Vivian Lopez, manager of the Seabel's store on Union Avenue, said Tuesday that shoppers will have a lot more to look at this year. The owners of Seabel's closed the Wooden Spoon at the Pueblo Mall and increased the offerings inside Seabel's, she said.
The store now has boutique clothing, shoes, gourmet cooking supplies, jewelry, lotions and gels and holiday T-shirts among its variety of products. 'We've got tons of merchandise,' Lopez said, 'and we've changed our store around. We have a whole new gourmet food and gadget area. It's going to be a phenomenal shopping experience.' Herb Critchett at Johnson Sport & Ski on Court Street said his store also expects a lot of shoppers Friday. Critchett forecast that business, aided by a healthier economy, is expected to be better than last year.
'Everything in general is going good right now,' he said of sales. 'We're doing a lot in archery and bows. Letter jackets have been real good.' At Pueblo Records and Tapes on Pueblo Boulevard, Manager Jane Baird said she expects the day to be 'busy, busy, busy.' 'It's hard to say if it will be better than last year,' Baird said. 'I'm hoping it's going to be better.' Other store owners weren't sure if Friday's flood of shoppers will reach them. Hank Cervantes, owner of the Pueblo Military Surplus store on Union Avenue, said that some years he has had a lot of business on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and some years he hasn't. 'It's pretty hard to predict,' he said.
Most of the big-chain stores, which account for the bulk of the shopping expected on Friday, refused to discuss their expectations.
Wal-Mart has three stores in the Pueblo area and is easily the area's largest retail force, doing hundreds of millions of dollars each year. A management spokesman at the Wal-Mart on Dillon Drive referred calls to Wal-Mart's corporate media office. A spokeswoman there said managers at Wal-Mart stores have asked that reporters not be allowed to call them because they are too busy getting ready for the holiday shopping season. A Dillard's spokeswoman at the Pueblo Mall said she was unsure what the Dillard's media policy is, so she declined to comment 'just so I don't get in trouble corporate-wise.'
A Target management official who identified herself only as Amy said the store expects a large number of shoppers on Friday. 'We bring in more help for the holidays,' she said, but declined to make any more comment. A Barnes and Noble Booksellers spokesman said that store expects to be busy Friday. The holiday season is an important time for book sellers and the Pueblo Barnes and Noble will be opening early at 8 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. to accommodate Friday's expected rush of customers. Manager Joe Weis at the North Side Kmart on North Elizabeth Street said he expects a lot of people to come shopping on Friday. 'We always expect a lot,' he said. Weis said Kmart has scheduled additional workers and brought in more inventory for the Friday rush. 'It's traditional,' he said.
Copyright (c) 2006, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.
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