Why wait until Black Friday? That’s the message Walmart is sending as it announced deals that will begin  Saturday, Nov. 21, a good six days before one of the most important shopping days of the year. The savings will resemble the day-after-Thanksgiving prices on select toys and entertainment, according to Walmart officials. The savings range from 23 percent to more than 40 percent off regular prices.

Get more details by checking out Walmart deals.

Stay tuned to see if other competing retailers jump into the pre-Black Friday discount fray.

Some of the deals:
Toys:
Li’l Luvables Studio: $20, will be $8
EZ Bake Oven: $28, will be $16
Little Dreams 22″ Doll: $15, will be $8
Baby Alive Newborn Doll: $15, will be $8

Nerf Capture the Flag: $39, will be $19
Air Hogs Laser Zero Gravity Remote-controlled Vehicle: $34, will be $19
Barbie Generation of Dreams Collectors Doll: $49, will be $25
Disney Princess Scooter: $129, will be $99
Nerf N-Strike Vulcan: $42.97, will be $25

HDTV Savings:
26-inch Vizio LCD HDTV (720p model): $347, will be $248 (limit two per person).

Check out more Vizio deals at Walmart and elsewhere at the Gadgetress’ Black Friday finds.

$40 Gift Card with Hero Game Packages:
Walmart customers who purchase these gaming packages will receive a $40 Walmart Gift Card while supplies last:
Band Hero, includes drum and guitar controllers, microphone and game
PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii: $199
PS2: $179
DJ Hero, includes turntable controller and game
PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii:  $119
PS2: $99
Guitar Hero 5, includes guitar controller and game
PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii: $99
PS2: $89

Check out other Black Friday deals in Marla Jo Fisher’s OC Deals.

In the mean time, take our poll below to see how others view pre-Black Friday deals:

Post from: Orange County Retail

Bargain. Discount. These are the two key words that are on shoppers’ minds as consumers gear up for the holiday shopping season. Although some shoppers have begun making their holiday purchases before Thanksgiving day, the day after that holiday – better known as Black Friday – is being watched closely by retailers and retail analysts for signs of how the rest of the holiday season is going to shape up.

Here’s a look by three companies at the shopping pulse of consumers:

• An online survey of 4,691 consumers conducted by PriceGrabber.com, a division of Experian, showed that 70 percent of consumers are doing more research and comparison shopping online, compared with 38 percent last year.

The same survey also found that 45 percent are planning to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Of those that are shopping, 79 percent plan to make a purchase on Black Friday and 66 percent plan to make a purchase on Cyber Monday.

• An online survey of 526 consumers conducted by the retail division of Accenture, a management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, found that  more shoppers will shop on Black Friday - 52 percent this year vs. 42 percent in 2008. And more consumers – 69 percent - this year expect to do the bulk of their shopping by Dec. 7, up from 60 percent last year.

“We have seen a ‘shift to thrift’ across all income levels during this economic downturn and breaking that habit will be the greatest challenge for retailers this holiday season,” Janet Hoffman, managing director of Accenture’s retail practice. “The winners this season will be the smart retailers that use the right customer data to offer the ‘value’ shoppers are looking for without destroying their margins.”

• In an online survey of 1,995 consumers conducted by the NPD Group, Inc., a market research company, 41 percent of consumers said that they plan to start their shopping during Thanksgiving weekend or later.

Here’s how consumers responded when asked when they start/started their holiday shopping:
- By early December    25%
- Before Thanksgiving    20%
- Already Started    18%
- Thanksgiving Weekend    12%
- Last Minute    5%

Perhaps more important than when they are going to shop is what they’re considering before opening their wallets.

“All of our indications suggest that consumers will shop but be more cautious in their approach,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group, Inc. “The study’s results show consumers will be doing their homework a bit more carefully this year.”

What’s more, “consumers have come to expect deeper and deeper discounts as the holiday season wears on. And they have also come to expect that the products they want will be available whenever they get around to purchasing them. I’m not so sure that will work in their favor this year,” Cohen said.

The NPD report showed that almost half – 45 percent - of consumers said they would comparison shop then buy. That  number is a five-year high, Cohen said.

Here’s how consumers responded when asked which they agreed with:
- I comparison shop before I buy  45%
- I plan to buy all of my holiday gifts on sale  37%
- I use ads or circulars to guide my shopping  35%

So why are consumers more discount- or bargain-driven than ever? Well, the economy is one factor, analysts say. But because of deep discounts early in the shopping season last year, consumers may have been conditioned to expect the same this year.

A potential problem for consumers who wait too long for the lowest price: “This year retailers are carrying less inventory and the products that consumers really want may just run low or even be out of stock in some stores,” Cohen said. “If consumers wait too long expecting bigger discounts they may just be surprised to find that the item they want won’t be there. It will be the informed consumers that will find what they want, buy early and on sale.”

Know of any big Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals and specials in Orange County? Email me at lliddane@ocregister.com. I’ll check it out and post it here in our ongoing series on holiday shopping.

In the mean time, tell us about your holiday shopping plans. Take the poll below to see when others are shopping.

Post from: Orange County Retail

Pacific Court at Fashion Island

Fashion Island’s $100 million makeover continues in Newport Beach, but at least one upcoming change is the subject of an online petition started by a local resident. The Venetian-themed carousel, a ride popular among families with toddlers and young kids, is slated to be closed and removed permanently within the next several months, following the removal of another kid-friendly feature, the “pop-jet” fountain near Garys & Company.

Keree James, a mom of two girls under five, started a petition called “Save the Carousel!” which now has more than 670 signatures and has been featured in at least two Newport Beach news sites. She wrote, “I’m sure you have all had fond memories with your kids on the Fashion Island Carousel. With news that they will be removing the carousel by the first of the year, I was extremely disappointed!”

Her sentiments were echoed by some anonymously and by others such as Sandy McDougall, who wrote, “We go to Fashion Island because of the carousel. We make the loop with my 1- and 3-year old, from the Carousel to the Apple Store to the Koi Pond to the Food Court to Haagen Dazs for the Fountain to Russos pet store. We usually spend quite a bit of money while we are wheeling along with our stroller. Without the Carousel, we will probably go somewhere else like Balboa Island or The Fun Zone and bring our retail dollars to those locations.”

The petition, however understandable, won’t change long-standing renovation plans, according to Irvine Company executives.

“We are aware of that petition and we obviously don’t like to have any customer dissatisfaction,” said John Christensen, vice president of media relations for the Irvine Company. “But we are certain that once we complete our spaces, there will be features that the residents can connect with passionately…the things that are being replaced are going to be replaced with amenities that are going to be different but just as popular.”

The extensive facelift is designed to give Fashion Island more of an Italian village ambiance, complete with paseos and new fountains, said Nina Robinson, vice president of marketing and communications for Irvine Company Retail Properties. The look is in keeping with the Italian aesthetic that’s evident at other Irvine Company properties, including the Andrea Palladio-inspired Resort at Pelican Hill in nearby Newport Coast.

The open plaza near Bloomingdale’s is going to become home to a large obelisk-adorned fountain with a choreographed light-and-water display. The design of the fountain is inspired by the Fountain of the Four Rivers in the Piazza Navona in Rome, Robinson said.

In planning the renovation, Fashion Island officials looked for ways to keep the carousel and move it to another location, but could not a find a sufficiently large area to relocate the attraction, Robinson said. The removal of the carousel will give the shopping center additional retail space as well as seating areas with views of the Pacific Ocean. As for the “pop-jet” fountain, Robinson said it had to be removed to make room for a new Nordstrom cafe.

“Retail is an ever-changing, always evolving business,” Christensen said. “What’s going on here is a renaissance…to keep Fashion Island fresh.”

He added,  “One thing that gets lost in the discussion here is that we’re making a $100 million reinvestment that’s providing job opportunities to an industry that has been experiencing difficult times.”

Post from: Orange County Retail

Top: The location of the soon-to-reopen Apple Retail Store. Photo: Niyaz Pirani. Bottom: A sign announcing the Microsoft Store at The Shops at Mission Viejo. Photo: Mark Rightmire, The Orange County Register

Nov. 27 will be more than just Black Friday at The Shops at Mission Viejo. It’s the day the expanded Apple Retail Store will reopen after a renovation that began in Sept. And it’s the day the mall becomes the only shopping center in the nation that has both Microsoft and Apple stores under one roof.  (For a story on the reopening of the Apple Retail Store, click here.)

While the Apple Retail Store was being renovated at The Shops at Mission Viejo, Microsoft opened one of its two initial retail locations at the same mall to much fanfare on Oct. 29. (For a story on a visit to the Microsoft store, click here.)

It’s no doubt that getting the Microsoft Store was a coup for the The Shops at Mission Viejo - the store is the only one of its kind in California so far. The other new Microsoft Store is located at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Ariz.

When the all-black minimalist construction barriers come down and the Apple Retail Store reopens the day after Thanksgiving,  consumers will have an unparalleled hands-on opportunity to check out each brand’s goods up close and go back and forth between the stores.

As for the mall, its bragging rights aren’t going to last long. Microsoft plans to open more stores and the buzz on the street is that there’s  a reasonably high probability that some locations will be where Apple already has a bricks-and-mortar presence.

And if Apple’s latest advertising salvo titled “Broken Promises” is any indication of how that company views Microsoft, Apple isn’t likely to just sit back on the retail front as well.

Tell us what you think about these technology giants’ retail businesses below:

For stories on The Shops at Mission Viejo and other retail news:

Post from: Orange County Retail

Yes, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers’ (ICSC). Store sales for October increased by 2.1 percent from the same month in 2008, according to a tally of 32 retail-chain stores by the council. It was the second consecutive monthly increase for the industry following 13 monthly declines, and the strongest gain since April 2008.

And there’s positive news for the luxury department-store sector: it had an increase of 1.8 percent in store sales  for Oct., the first sign of improvement since May 2008.

Factors that helped the sales boost included an improving economy and stock market, warm weather early in Oct. and weak numbers for the same period last year.

As for November, sales are anticipated to be up 5 to 8 percent above sales in November 2008. Keep in mind that this month last year, sales fell 7.7 percent when consumer cut spending and retailers increased discounting.

Retailers are watching the returns from Black Friday - Nov. 27, the Friday after Thanksgiving, which, according to a survey by ICSC with Goldman Sachs, is more important this season. The survey of 1,000 adults showed that 16 percent of consumers expect to kick off their holiday shopping on that day, up from 10 percent of consumers in 1007 and 13 percent in 2006.

“Bargain hunting will continue to be an important element of the consumers’ holiday shopping strategy,” said Michael P. Niemira, ICSC’s director of research and chief economist.

For more news about improved retail sales, click here.

Want to see people’s spending plans for holiday shopping? Take our poll below.

Post from: Orange County Retail

Henri Bendel bags

Henri Bendel, a favorite New York boutique of the smash hit TV series “Gossip Girl,” is unveiling its Orange County outpost on Friday, Nov. 6. The boutique, with Bendel’s signature brown and white stripes, is located on the first level of the Bloomingdale’s wing at South Coast Plaza .

For a previous story about the O.C. store, click here.
The original Henri Bendel store opened in 1895 on W. 57th Street in New York.
The store became part of recent popular culture vernacular after it was featured in the movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic” and in  “Gossip Girl.”

No wonder the store bills itself as  “the ultimate girls’ playground.”

When the South Coast Plaza boutique opens, there will be a total of 11 Bendel locations across the U.S. for the Columbus, Ohio-based Limited Brands, which also owns Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works. The store will carry accessories, beauty products, fragrance, jewelry, food and Bendel-branded items.
The first 250 customers to purchase $125 or more worth of goods at the store will receive a limited-edition Henri Bendel tote.
For more information, call (714) 557-1647.

For more retail news:

Post from: Orange County Retail

Jonathan Adler gives peace a chance

Decoristas who love contemporary design are getting two treats this week at Fashion Island.

Jonathan Adler, the New York-based designer who designed the interiors of the way-too-chic hotel called the Parker Palm Springs (which had its own reality show, by the way), just opened a signature pop-up store in the Newport Beach shopping center. The boutique is located where Chip and Pepper used to be - across the koi ponds near Restoration Hardware. Expect to get a good dose of Adler’s groovy and naughty pottery, the origins of which date to 1979, when Adler begged his parents to buy him a wheel and kiln after he tried pottery at summer camp.

Just a quick stroll away from the Jonathan Adler boutique is the new 500-square-foot Alessi store, located where Yours Truly used to be - next door to Express and across from the carousel. The store is the first  that’s located in a shopping center in North America for Alessi, an Italian company known for its contemporary home accessories.

Alessi's La Rosa fruit holder

The last time there was a lot of Alessi in Fashion Island was back in the late ’90s, at the Chiasso store near Gary’s Island.

Think you’re not familiar with Alessi? You are if you’ve seen the Michael Graves-designed bird kettle (with a little bird at the end of the spout), which remains the most iconic and bestselling of all Alessi items.

As for Fashion Island, the Jonathan Adler and Alessi stores underscore how shopping center has been gradually and strategically building its coterie of retailers specializing in contemporary decor and furniture that are not easy to find elsewhere in O.C.

For example, just last month, Laguna Beach designing couple John and Taryn Bernard debuted the first Orange County location of their store Room Service. To see a photo of Room Service and a previous story on it, click here.

Another furniture store, Design Within Reach completed its renovation. Add to all these the opening of Trina Turk, which carries home accessories and fashion - and the contemporary vibe is pretty clear.

Photo of Jonathan Adler: jonathanadler.com

Photo of Alessi fruit holder courtesy of Alessi

For more retail news:

Post from: Orange County Retail

Apparently workers plan on spending 14.4 hours shopping online during November and December according to an information technology trade group.  That’s an increase of nearly 10 hours compared to 2008.

Check out the poll and tell us what you plan on doing this year.

Post from: Orange County Retail

www.disguise.com

You can’t tell from the crowds in line for costumes at stores such as Party City, but consumer spending on Halloween dropped this year. According to a survey of 8,526 people conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation (NRF), consumers are spending an average of $56.31 on Halloween this year, down from $66.54 last year. Up until this year, consumer  spending on Halloween was steadily increasing every year.

The reason for this year’s decline,  says NRF president Tracy Mullin: the economy.

Here’s more on consumers’ Halloween spending:

• Nearly a third of consumers said the economy impacted their Halloween plans.

• Of those who said Halloween affected their plans, 88 percent said they are spending less over all, 46.5 percent said they are buying less candy, and 35.4 percent said they planned to put up last year’s decorations with no plans to buy more.

• Among consumers, young adults, last year’s big spenders, plan to scale back significantly. The average 18-24 year-old will spend $68.56, about $18 less than what a young adult spent on Halloween last year.

Let’s put these numbers in perspective, though.

Halloween remains a formidable moneymaker. The same survey found that consumers are spending:

• $250 million in greeting cards
• $1.23 billion in decorations
• $1.52 billion on candy
• $1.75 billion in costumes.

And speaking of costumes, here is a list of what retailers said are their most popular costumes, according to Kathy Grannis, NRF spokeswoman:

Vampires: Can you say “Twilight”,”True Blood” and “Vampire Diaries”?
The King of Pop: Think Michael Jackson’s decorated jackets, shiny white gloves, fedoras - and don’t forget the white socks and black shoes made for for moonwalking.
Hannah Montana: still going strong after all these years
Princess: tiaras, ballgowns and sparkling shoes
Alice in Wonderland: Tim Burton’s take on the Lewis Carroll story is slated for release in March 2010, but there’s a buzz on the Mad Hatter and Alice costumes.
And a new one this year, The Kate Gosselin wig, which is often sold out in stores.

Post from: Orange County Retail

The store, which just opened, is having a sale through Nov. 30.

Enjoy.

Julie Gallego

Business Editor

Post from: Orange County Retail