Posted: Nov. 23, 2009

Crowds of eager bargain-hunters will gather outside Mayfair Mall in the early hours of Friday morning, but for many of those people Black Friday won't start their holiday shopping season.

Adia Gray of Milwaukee has been picking out gift items since early October, and she hit the Wauwatosa mall Nov. 13 to do some more shopping. Her 3-year-old son Shaun's birthday is close to Christmas, so she's trying to spread out the spending and take advantage of deals.

"I want both to be special for him," she said.

Gray counts among the 40 percent of Americans the National Retail Federation said started their Christmas spending prior to Halloween. The early shopping rush was bolstered by fears that stores will be running out of the most popular items because many retailers are cutting back on inventory this year.

The trade association, which keeps watch over shopping trends, also says people are willing to buy earlier if they find a deal too good to turn down.

Keeping an eye on price

For Kim Einwalter of Milwaukee that was a summer deal for 50 percent off Fisher-Price toys plus a coupon for another 15 percent off.

With an 8-month-old daughter, Allison, she doesn't want to pay a lot for toys. And when it comes to family gift-swapping, Einwalter sees $25 as the target amount to spend per person.

U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $683 on holiday-related shopping this year, down 3.2 percent from last year's $705 average, according to the federation.

Lori McIntosh plans to look for bargains, but not necessarily because her family is on a budget.

"We don't go overboard," she said. "It's not really just about the economy, it's about not feeling like we need it."

She used coupons to buy clothing at stores like Gap and Banana Republic. Although she lives in the town of Erin, she shops for the holidays at Mayfair so she can hit many stores without going outside, since her children, 2-year-old twins Jack and Charlie and 2-month-old Sydney, come along in a stroller.

Incentives expected to last

Dawn Krueger of Oconomowoc was at the mall Nov. 13, and knows she will have to return to visit Justice, a trendy store popular with the tween set.

Her daughter, McKenna, has her heart set on a particular scarf and "just about anything from Justice."

Krueger is one of the people planning to start her holiday shopping on Black Friday. She said she'll buy just as many gifts as in past years, but she's planning to hit sales to make it happen.

"That's going to be a driving force for us, (to) see if we can get the same amount for less," she said.

The federation said retailers have been announcing Black Friday promotions such as 50 percent off clothing, $25 designer apparel and $10 toys for some time now.

Mall Manager Steve Smith said expects retailers will offer discounts to get people in the first time, then use coupons and other deals to entice them to come back.

Gray is as one of the few people who said she doesn't plan to cut back on spending this Christmas - even in this difficult economy she has landed a new job.

At 3, this is the first year Shaun will really enjoy holiday traditions, so she's ready to spoil him.

AT A GLANCE

Smart shoppers come prepared for holiday shopping:

• Spread out holiday purchases throughout the year - or at least throughout the holiday season. Shopping at the last minute often results in making unnecessary purchases because the shopper is feeling rushed and frenzied.

• Make a list of absolutely everyone to buy for and how much to spend on them before visiting any store or Web site, and stick to it.

• Sign up to receive e-mails from favorite retailers. Many sales may only be offered to a retailer's most loyal customers. Be vigilant about searching for holiday promotions in newspapers and on newspaper's Web sites as well.

• Use the Internet to compare prices and products before setting foot in a store. Not only will research save time but it will also help you save gas money.

• Save the guesswork and buy gift cards, especially for baby-sitters, newspaper carriers, doormen, teachers and other recipients of smaller-value gifts.

Source: National Retail Federation