Black Friday Starts In The Dark

Black Friday starts earlier than ever at the Greatland Target in San Ramon – the midnight opening is four hours earlier than last year's 4 a.m. barnstorming.

But the annual consumer saving-a-thon started much earlier for Bianca Avancena.

The local Target's executive team leader in assets protection began preparations for Friday's holiday extravaganza four months ago. There's a lot more that goes into opening a store early than meets the eye.

“It takes a lot of preparation, organization and teamwork,” Avancena said.

A National Retail Federation survey suggests as many as 152 million shoppers will be opening their wallets this weekend nationally, up 10 percent from last year.

A survey from International Council of Shopping Centers reports 34 percent of shoppers will be out in force on Black Friday, an increase from 31 percent over last year and 26 percent in 2009.

No wonder Target got a four-month head-start to stockpile additional products, design a store plan and hire extra staff in order to accommodate what will produce twice as much in sales in one day as any sales on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday all year.

Revenue on the day following Thanksgiving also kicks off the fourth quarter of retail sales for the year, so while it may be a long holiday weekend for the public it's all business for merchants, and big business at that.

Target will supply the early shoppers with a store map displaying where to find the best values, referred to as “door-busters” (think electronics), and prepare them for what's in store – literally – once they're allowed inside.

Target will be closed on Thanksgiving to allow employees to move the large inventory currently in storage into place for Friday's 23-hour shopping day.

“It's all hands on deck,” said Avancena, who is overseeing her second Black Friday at San Ramon Target.

Anxious bargain-hunters started lining up – armed with heavy jackets, blankets, lawn chairs and thermoses – at approximately 9 p.m. last Thanksgiving, where they would stand, sit or lay in a winding line at the store's parking lot for as much as seven hours before the doors opened.

Because buyers are being let inside earlier this year, Avancena is planning for an earlier arrival by early birds.

“They'll start lining up right after Thanksgiving dinner,” said Avancena, who estimated last year's crowd grew to 400 to 500 people by the store's opening.

Target has taken steps to ensure public safety for the event. The store is teaming with the San Ramon Police Department, which plans to have two officers present as shoppers arrive and hunker down for the wait.

“It's a lot of work but all worth it,” Avancena said.