Retailers mostly jolly about the start of the shopping season

The holiday shopping season is off to a promising start, according to Nicole Schmitt, senior marketing manager for The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks.

Many stores at The Oaks decline to release specific sales figures, but the general outlook is that retailers met or exceeded their projections for Thanksgiving weekend, Schmitt said.

Traffic at The Oaks was steady throughout the four-day launch of the holiday shopping season. People browsed and shopped.

The mall and stores were ready; the lines were short at cash registers and parking was mostly accessible, Schmitt said.

Many shoppers were attracted to bargains, she said. The Oaks was still busy on Monday.

The Apple store at The Oaks is a popular destination for shoppers, Schmitt said. Its top sellers were iPods and computers.

Forever 21, a new clothing and accessory retailer that opened a month ago at The Oaks, exceeded its sales projections by 19 percent, according to Schmitt.

GapKids opened at 5 a.m. last Friday and had more than $2,000 in sales in less than 60 minutes.

The Disney Store almost doubled its business compared to last year. Hot sellers were merchandise and DVDs associated with Disney movies, including "Cars" and "Pirates of the Caribbean," according to Schmitt.

Not all stores, however, met their goals, according to Marceia Hawkins, manager of the Express clothing store at The Oaks. It missed its target by $5,000.

"It wasn't as busy as we expected," Hawkins said.

According to the National Retail Federation, more than 140 million shoppers visited stores last weekend, spending an average of $360, up 18.9 percent from $303 last year.

"I find Black Friday to be more for electronics and outlet malls," said David Pardo, owner of Anderson Jewelers in Moorpark.

Black Friday gets its name because it's the first day of the year that many retailers show a profit. Sales figures usually continue strong through mid-January.

The holidays generate about 25 to 30 percent of the yearly sales for Anderson Jewelers because most people wait until the season to buy bigticket items, such as tennis bracelets and pendants.

Customers were also shopping at Wilshire Home Entertainment in Thousand Oaks. "Black Friday was the best we've seen in three years," said Steve Honig, director of sales.

Lower prices on flat-panel TVs, he said, attracted shoppers. Wilshire doesn't feature "door buster" deals like the bigger electronics superstores, but many consumers prefer knowledgeable and professional sales consultants and personalized service, according to Honig.

They also like service after the sale, Honig said. Prices on home entertainment systems and accessories have never been better, he said.

Wilshire increased its sales revenue by 25 percent this year compared to last Thanksgiving weekend, according to Honig.

Not everyone was pleased by the pre-holiday shopping rush.

"It's kind of sad actually that people are so involved in the commercialization of Christmas," said Hank Laird, executive minister for Lifespring Community Church in Moorpark.

The church's Christmas play will open with a scene showing the chaos of Black Friday when everyone rushes to buy gifts.

"They lost their perspective of what Christmas is all about, and the story will go on to remind them of the real meaning of the holiday," Laird said.

The Jewish holiday Hanukkah is also affected by marketing.

"Hanukkah has nothing to do with gift giving," said Moorpark resident Mindy Yaras, who went to shop at The Oaks on Black Friday.

She said she didn't buy a lot.

To honor the holiday traditions, The Oaks will host a Hanukkah event on Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m.

Santa Claus also visits with children from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at the J.C. Penney court. The Oaks will host musical events featuring local choirs and other performers starting in mid-December.