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Businesses prepare for Black Friday blitz

by Krystal Paco 

Guam - Local businesses are gearing up for the biggest shopping day of the year, hoping residents will get up early and take advantage of special discounts.

They say the early bird gets the worm and for thousands of island residents who want to get a head start on Christmas shopping, they'll be flocking to their favorite stores for Black Friday, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.  Drew Sadwhani of K.D. Toys in the Micronesia Mall says the store will be open at midnight for those looking to get their Christmas shopping out of the way, noting, "We're going to have the biggest sale since we've been open and we're really excited about it. I expect there to be hundreds, to be honest with you. Last year we had a really great turnout and we'd like to thank our really loyal customers."

Toys continue to be the second largest holiday ticket item, falling close behind apparel. Sadwhani says they've stocked up on thousands of different toys from remote control ride-ons to the classics like Nerf and Barbie, Hot Wheels and Bey Blades, Sadwhani is optimistic that sales this year will be better than they were in 2010.

"I'm expecting to surpass last year's numbers. With the tax refund checks coming out and with the variety and sales that we're going to have going on and being our third season, we're definitely ready and we're excited about this season," he projected.

Businesses often roll out their deepest discounts in hopes of getting customers to dig deep into their wallets.  It's these big discounts that Buddy's Home Furnishings Rent-To-Own general manager Victor Penafiel hopes will draw hundreds to his store along Harmon Loop Road.  Penafiel says they've stocked up on all the latest tech gadgets and led and 3d TVs, saying, "We've bought a bunch of electronics, laptops, Apple computers, iPad 2s - we're really excited. We're opening at 7am and we have laptops starting at $19.99 and iPad 2s at $27.99 a week, so we're expecting a line out of this door here."

Despite a sluggish economy in recent months, stores are hoping Christmas comes early for them on Black Friday.