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Greeters handing out snow globes at the store said people were lined up waiting for the store’s 4 a.m. opening when an extra 10 percent would be taken off prices.
Most customers at J.C. Penney were feeling the pinch of the economic crisis, cutting back their shopping to necessities. Business owners at the mall were hoping for the economic crunch to end.
“It’s a bad economy everywhere. People are feeling it on different levels,” said Jacqueline Hansen of Sweet Delights, a gift store in the mall, which was selling luggage at half price.
Hansen likes the direction the mall is taking under local ownership, but it needs more stores, she said. “It’s hard to get stores to commit when you’re dealing with a bad economy.”
Asked when she thought the economy would turn Hansen said, “If I had my wish it would be tomorrow. I’m hoping 2009 will be a stronger year.”
Annie Broady came to J.C. Penney from Margarettsville in Northampton County for a subdued shopping trip. “Pajamas, jeans, slacks, bedroom slippers,” she said.
Broady estimated this year she was probably cutting back by 50 percent on her Christmas shopping from last year.
J.C. Penney was the first stop of the morning for Broady, who also planned to stop by Goody’s to look for more clothing bargains and then to Lowe’s Home Improvement.
It was clothes for Kisha Sledge of Roanoke Rapids, who said her Christmas budget was tighter this year and would be spending less. Clothes make more sense since the children are growing her friend said. “They need more clothes,” Sledge agreed.
After Penney she was off to Wal-Mart for clothes and what she was said would be a few toys.
The big morning blitz at Penney ended close to 6 a.m. and sales associate Denise Rice described traffic as steady afterward.
David Batchelder, of Wilmington, Del., sat near a changing room at Penney waiting for his family.
Batchelder, who was visiting family, agreed with other shoppers this year signaled a change in spending habits. “Instead of things I want to buy I’m buying things I need,” he said. “We’re buying a few clothes, small gifts for the kids, no large electronics stuff as usual.”
Charlie Harris, a Weldon native who lives in Maryland, was out shopping for himself as he waited for his wife, who was also shopping for herself.
Harris said he would be spending about the same this year as he did last year and would be following their usual Christmas tradition of shopping in Maryland the second week of December when both he and his wife are off work. “We get it out of the way then,” he said.
He did plan to go to Wal-Mart to pick up a television for his mother.
As people shopped at J.C. Penney, Verlie Brown of Just 4 You was opening up shop and changing the sales sign. “We have some days,” she said when business isn’t good.
Brown, however, is hopeful of the mall’s future. “I think we need more stores, more businesses to come in,” she said, “I am really am hopeful.”
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