Retailers roll Black Friday ball through the holiday season

BARSTOW • What bad economy?

Consumers trumped shopping expectations during the Black Friday extravaganza last week at Barstow’s two outlet centers — and retailers expect the success to extend through the holidays.

Shoppers trolling Tanger Outlets stores for discounts and deals found countless opportunities to save money, something that is especially valuable in today’s shaky economy, said Tanger Outlets General Manager Jennifer Rodriguez. She added that the Tanger Outlets’ Black Friday foot traffic was about double from last year.

“Outlets are the bright spot in retail these days,” she said. “We wanted to make a strong holiday showing starting on Black Friday because we know shoppers are, now more than ever, looking for money-saving deals.”

Rodriguez said the Black Friday crowds exceeded expectations, with shoppers lining up outside stores beginning at 9 p.m. Thursday and staying as late as 3 a.m. early Friday morning. Stores such as Coach, a high-end accessories retailer, were so jammed that shoppers were forced to enter a few at a time. Rodriguez said she feted shoppers who were waiting with trivia games and extra coupons.

The scene was similar at Barstow Outlets, where sales representative Katie Naylor handled a “swamped store” of shoppers looking to take advantage of 20-percent discounts. Although Naylor said she didn’t have exact sales figures on Black Friday, but business buzzed so well that Zales is extending discounts of up to 15 percent throughout the holidays. Rodriguez echoed that sentiment, saying that Tanger Outlets stores are hoping to extend Black Friday’s success until Christmas.

“We’re trying to keep everything going, from online coupons to local giveaways, “ she said. “We want to keep attracting consumers.”

The outlet’s consumer base is varied and unique, bringing shoppers of all kinds: Foreign tour groups, interstate travelers and longtime locals.

“We serve the whole High Desert,” Rodriguez said of the two outlets’ location. “Being so near Interstate 15 also brings a lot of clientele. We’re a drive-by center.”

Eric and Nikki Tang, siblings from Los Angeles, stopped by the Tanger Outlets on their way to Las Vegas. Nikki said that holiday deals at Coach were surprisingly enticing, even a week after Black Friday.

“Those kind of high-quality products usually don’t have big discounts,” Nikki said about the store’s designer tote bags, wallets and purses.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or cnguyen@desertdispatch.com