Dan River Region retailers ready for Black Friday

Lines of people waiting for 4 a.m. store openings. First-come, first-buy limited doorbuster deals.

Local retailers stand ready to handle this and more for their busiest shopping day of the year — Black Friday.

“It’s my favorite day,” said JCPenney store manager David Farmer, who will be working his 39th Black Friday this year. “Even after all these years, it’s a rush.”

JCPenney in Piedmont Mall will open at 4 a.m. with more than 300 doorbusters to entice customers. Most of the day’s business for the store comes between 4 and 11 a.m.

“We’re excited about this year,” Farmer said. “We think it’s going to be a great year for us.”

The National Retail Federation also predicts sales will increase 2.3 percent from last year. Last year, holiday sales generated more than 19 percent of total industry sales for the year. Nationally, one in three Black Friday shoppers last year arrived to stores by 5 a.m., according to the trade group.

JCPenney hired about 30 additional employees and will feed the staff at the store so they don’t get caught in traffic, Farmer said. The store stocked more items it has than in the past five years.

Last year, Black Friday brought in 24 percent of November’s sales.

“The Friday after Thanksgiving is your day,” he added.

JCPenney will give away Disney snow globes, which usually run out in 45 minutes, and associates will hand customers Hershey’s Kisses as they shop.

JCPenney also partnered with The Salvation Army Angel Giving Tree, where customers can buy JCPenney items online for those in need.

Target in Coleman Marketplace expects lines to wrap around the building as customers wait for the 4 a.m. opening, said store team leader Eric Frazier. The store will light the side where the crowd lines up.

Target also expects increased traffic because of REDcard holders, who get 5 percent off their purchases for using their Target credit or debit card, Frazier said.

The Ginger Bread House on Memorial Drive is hoping for increased traffic this year, said store manager Brian Hamlett. The store expects a lot of customers for Christmas decorations on Black Friday, as decorating in earnest starts after Thanksgiving. Yet, the self-snowing Christmas tree already sold out.

The store expects new Vera Bradley patterns and limited edition pieces to be big sellers, he said.

Dixie Bags & More Gift Shop downtown is optimistic for increased sales this year as the storeowners’ handmade items have been selling well at fairs, said co-owner Gary Bender.

The store will extend hours, including opening an hour early at 9 a.m. The first five customers on Friday, Saturday and Monday to spend $200 or more get a free select handbag, he said.

Handbags are buy-one-get-one-free, jewelry is 30 percent off and kids’ items, like baby bibs and handcrafted toys, are 25 percent off, he added. Dixie Bags is stocked with more items than it’s ever had, he said. The store also added a series of new Danville-made wind-up music box with figurines, which are Christmas or religious themed for the season. Customers can also buy gift certificates in increments as low as $5.

“It’s beginning to look very festive here,” Bender said. “We’re excited.”

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet in Danville will open at 5 a.m. and expects most of its business between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., said President and CEO Mark Butler of Ollie’s Bargain Outlets. The store understands customers will hit department stores first then shop at Ollie’s, where they can stretch their money across more gifts.

This marks the second Black Friday for Danville and the store is expecting moderate growth after a great year last year, Butler said. The store is advertising 15 different doorbusters ranging from a Lionel train set worth $60 for $19.99 and $5.99 Christmas Carol Barbie dolls to 15-inch LCD, high definition TVs for $98.

“We are locked and loaded and ready. This is really when it all starts rocking,” Butler said. “We’ll be busy from the moment we open.”

Check out other Black Friday specials

• Santa arrives at Piedmont Mall at 10 a.m. Shoppers who spend $100 at the mall can take their receipts to the Merrier Shopping Redemption Zone on the center court lower level and get a $10 gift card while supplies last. Mall hours will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday.

• Abe Koplen Clothing Co. on North Union Street is collecting dry-cleaned suits to donate to charities for people to have to wear on Christmas. Donate a suit and receive $100 off any suit in the store. The collection runs Black Friday through Christmas. Abe Koplen will also have fur coats for sale this year. For more info, call (434) 791-2237.

• Rippe’s on Main Street is offering gift certificates according to the amount spent. Spend $150 and get a $20 gift certificate, spend $250 and get $40, spend $400 and get $65 and so on up to $175 back.

• Lou’s Antiques downtown will hold a Christmas open house Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with 10 percent off everything in the store, door prizes and refreshments.