Shoppers seem more careful on this Black Friday

  People rushed into stores Friday just as they have done in years past on the day after Thanksgiving. But they weren't so quick to spend their hard-earned dollars.

  Concerned about the economy, some stopped to consider if they actually needed whatever it was they were interested in - and if they could afford it.  

  "I started shopping at 4:30 this morning," said Nadine Guillen as she was shopping with a friend in front of Zumie's in the Yuma Palms Regional Center.

  Guillen's gift ideas have changed this year because she is concerned about having enough money to survive. She just keeps to things that her family actually needs.

  "I am spending less this year then last year by buying things that are not as expensive. We bought a lot of clothes. I did buy an iPod, and I wanted a camera, but I just couldn't afford it this year.

  "Last year I bought more electronics, but that is stuff that we don't need. Electronics are at really good prices, but I just don't have the money."

  Guillen says that she started Black Friday by going to Wal-Mart first thing.

  "We haven't been to Wal-Mart in years," she said. "But their prices were really good. Usually we get better prices at other stores here at the mall, but not this year."

  Shopper Alex Limon wasn't concerned at all about saving money as he waited for a friend in front of Hot Topic.

  "The economy hasn't effected my shopping," he said. "I even shopped more this year. We got here at 6 a.m. and bought clothes and a camera. Since I can't afford to do fun stuff like go to concerts, or travel, I buy more CDs and DVDs than I used to."

  Some shoppers were dismissive of the deals offered by companies this year.

  "I bought less stuff this year," said Christie Baker, a shopper on the street. "The stores don't seem to have good markdowns on their items like they did last year. I wasn't impressed."

  Baker has had to curb her spending as well.

  "I usually buy electronics for everyone in my family. But this year, I bought the family one big gift because it was cheaper."

  Shopper Debbie Gibbs-Spain also bought less this year. She hunted for the cheapest bargains to save money before she joined into the melee of eager product-hungry people choking the aisles at Best Buy.

  "I looked at all the ads yesterday so I could pick the best deal. Then I got up really early so I could go get the best deal."

  For many, shopping on Black Friday has become a family affair.

  "Three generations of women in my family, including my daughter-in-law and my granddaughter, woke up and were at the mall before 5 a.m.," Gibbs-Spain said. 

  Some people are looking for ways to keep themselves occupied in their homes since they aren't traveling as much this year.

  "I bought electronics because I'm looking for entertainment at home," said Gibbs-Spain. "This is so I can save money by not going other places. I can stay at home instead."

  Friday's turnout was enough to assuage any fears that might have been worrying local store owners.

 "We are very, very busy," said Tiffany Tuggle-Martinez, manager of the downtown Yuma boutique Twigs. "We are running three cash registers to keep up today, instead of just using one like normal.

  "The store is packed. It's the start of a great season. I'm very excited!"

  Gibbs-Spain agreed that the stores were busier than usual this morning.

  "The mall was really crowded. There were a lot of people in the stores, but at least it wasn't wall to wall."

  Gibbs-Spain was impressed  that local stores were able to plan for crowd control this year.

  "A nice thing was that the stores we went to had enough items so that not only the first person in the door could get what they wanted. I was glad to see that there were plenty of employees to help the customers, and lots of cash registers were open to make checking out faster.

  "The employees handed out fliers and coupons so that people could get exactly what they needed, even if they had forgotten their coupons. This year, the employees were really friendly, and even the shoppers were polite. There wasn't any pushing or shoving or anything like that at all. Shopping was more enjoyable then last year."

  Gibbs-Spain is happy that "I don't have to leave town like I used to. I can shop locally now, because of the variety of what's available in Yuma now as opposed to past years."

  Joy Lopez-Pearsall, store manager at JCPenney, is aware of the effects of economic hardship but was pleased with Friday's turnout and is hopeful about the future.

  "It's actually becoming a very good day. I think the economy will still be tough, people are still counting their pennies and looking for sales, but the holidays should be good."

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Shopping trio has an illustrated gameplan

   The women of the Young family take their shopping on Black Friday very seriously. They even go so far as to make a playbook of sorts that plans out their shopping to the letter.

  "We get a little notebook," said Anita Young, the group's matriarch, "and put a picture or a coupon next to the name of the person we are shopping for. It's our thing; a kind of tradition to come out every year."

  This year, Young, her daughter and her daughter's expectant daughter-in-law got together for a day on the town.

  "We are four generations, and we come out every year," Young said . "We've been here since 3:30 a.m., so we're in the zone."

   Young was pleased with the way stores conducted themselves and with the availability and selection of merchandise.

  "The sales this year were phenomenal. The service was also fantastic. I think they are working on their service because the economy is tight and they want to get you to come back."

  Young said the great prices actually caused them to get more stuff. "We didn't buy less, we bought more this year because the prices were great."

  One part of planning for an uninterrupted shopping experience deals with the midmorning hunger pangs that can cripple an otherwise energized group.

  "We bring a cooler in the car with turkey, juice, water, cookies and granola bars. But the granola bars are a last resort," said Young.

  For some in the family, the festivities don't end when the shopping is over.

  "Once we're done shopping," said Young's daughter, Bridget, "we go camp out by Ocotillo, next to Miller's garage at the foot of the San Diego Mountains."

  When asked if they are ever teased about their serious shopping nature, Anita Young's granddaughter-in-law, Sarah Marshall, said: "We should get excited about this one shopping day a year. So when people make fun of our playbook, that's what we tell them."