Businesses brace for busiest shopping day

MOSES LAKE - Sears Operations Manager Tammy Lenz recalls the throng of customers during past "Black Fridays" at the Moses Lake Sears.

Black Friday, the shopping day after Thanksgiving, is known for bringing retailers back in the black for profits by attracting customers with big deals.

At the Moses Lake Sears, Lenz predicts shoppers will be lined up outside the store on Friday.

"They will be looking in the windows at us once we get ready," she said. "It's crazy."

The store offers "really good" prices on TVs, tools, and vacuum cleaners.

There's a special offer on a Kenmore washer and dryer sets with only four in stock at the Moses Lake store.

Sears Store Manager Cliff Phillips oversees the Moses Lake, Ephrata, Othello and Moscow, Idaho locations.

"We're just getting in products," he said. "We're trying to get it organized and ready for display. They're sending us a lot of stuff."

The Moses Lake store is open on Thanksgiving Day, from 7 a.m. to noon.

At the Moses Lake Radio Shack, co-owner Brenda Adame said they've received their merchandise and are well-stocked.

The store opens at 5:30 a.m. Friday for the big day.

Adame worked "many Black Fridays," she said.

"It's like a swarm of ants coming in sometimes," she said. "We do have a line of people waiting for us to open."

Some of Radio Shack's specials also run on Saturday.

This year, if a sale item doesn't arrive as planned, that change is posted on the front doors of Radio Shack, she said. Customers are alerted before they devote any time waiting for the store to open.

At The Home Depot in Moses Lake, store Manager Terry Stroud said Black Friday is also one of the biggest shopping days for home improvement stores.

Stroud explained how his store's sales start with pre-Black Friday specials.

"There's huge sales on appliances, gift items, amazing deals," he commented. "For us, it's a big day."

Last year's Black Friday was one of the highest sale volume days the store had experienced, which contradicted the economy and recession, he said.

"We experienced more foot traffic than in years past," Stroud said.

He thinks more residents stayed closer to home and shopped here.

"I think the trend will continue," Stroud says.

For The Home Depot, winter home improvements circle around winterization.

He sees many customers preparing for cold weather by insulating pipes and tackling other winterization and winterization projects.

"Interior painting is on fire right now," Stroud said.

One of The Home Depot's biggest focuses is supplying products and information about do-it-yourself home improvement projects.