Tempered predictions about the holiday shopping season didn’t stop determined bargain hunters from lining up outside of local retail stores for the ever popular consumer frenzy known as Black Friday.
In La Cañada, a dozen people waited outside the city’s biggest retailer, Sport Chalet, for the doors to open at 5 a.m. Linda Ingraldi, a La Crescenta resident, was at the front of the line. She said it was the first time she had tried to take advantage of the Thanksgiving weekend sales. She had planned her purchase carefully, consulting with her sister about a GPS navigation system which she hoped to buy as a present for her son. It was marked down $90.
"They say they have the GPS that I want...Nowadays, saving anything makes me feel good," Ingraldi said.
Saving is exactly what millions of Americans are looking to do today as they browse shelves of toys, books, clothing and electronics. The day after Thanksgiving, which has evolved into a national holiday in and of itself, is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. It is also an early indication of fourth quarter profits, which for some retailers can make up as much as a third of total annual revenue.
