Merced prepares for weekend of shopping

The shopping season is upon Merced once again, as businesses small and big offer deals on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and other sales efforts.

Big-box stores tend to draw attention by offering deals on giant-screen TVs, the newest gaming consoles, trendy gadgets and other electronics, but local retailers get in on the action, as well.

The locally owned boutiques are closed Thanksgiving Day but offer deals on the days around it. For example, Helen & Louise, a downtown Merced boutique that sells women’s clothes, will offer sales the day before Thanksgiving for the first time this year.

“It’s above and beyond what we normally do,” said manager Gina Deliman.

The store opens again at 10 a.m. on Black Friday, when the savings for shoppers are greater. She said that gives shoppers a chance to hit up the electronics before coming into the downtown shop, which will offer discounts of 30 to 50 percent.

Jeans, jewelry, camisoles and other items tend to be popular at the store.

Clearance items are an additional half off, she said, and gift-wrapping is free. Beyond savings, she said, boutiques offer an added personal touch.

The holiday season, defined by the National Retail Federation as sales in November and December, is the biggest time of year for retailers of all shapes and sizes, and can account for as much as 30 percent of a retailer’s annual sales.

This year, the federation estimates that holiday sales will increase 3.7 percent to $630.5 billion, compared to last year’s 4.1 percent growth. The average increase during the last decade has been 2.5 percent, according to the federation.

Christina Macha, owner of Christina’s Fine Clothing, said her store will offer sales Wednesday and continue with other offers much of the week and weekend into Cyber Monday. The store has developed a following on Facebook and Instagram, she said, which gets attention from out-of-the-area shoppers.

“Every year it gets crazier and more fun,” she said.

The store plans sales of scarves, booties and other items for Black Friday, she said, when the boutique moves more merchandise than any other day of the year.

The local owners said they carry different items than other Merced shops to avoid direct competition.

“It’s really interesting for a town like Merced to have boutiques at our level,” Macha said.

Local shop owners said they also benefit from visiting families, who make a tradition out of stopping in.

Kelli Barkman, the owner of Kelli in downtown Merced, said she has “doorbusters” and other markdowns planned when the store opens at 9 a.m. on Black Friday, but she prefers to keep them under her hat until notices go out Thanksgiving Day.

The high level of interest from shoppers pays off.

“This season is definitely a larger part of our whole year,” she said.

Kelli doesn’t have an online store, but does use social media to push products.

National retailers are advertising sales that creep earlier into the day when many gather with family and friends to share in a traditional meal. But Thanksgiving may need to be a lunchtime gathering if customers plan to make the 3 p.m. JCPenney opening in Merced Mall or in Los Banos.

Merced has a number of big-box stores that’ll be open before the turkey gravy gets cold. Best Buy’s doors open 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

Target and Walmart, which have locations in Merced, Los Banos and Atwater, are expected to open for business at 6 p.m. on Turkey Day. Sears and Kohl’s in Merced are supposed to throw open their doors at the same time.

The rest of the Merced Mall will begin business at 6 a.m. on Black Friday.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 5:55 PM with the headline "Merced prepares for weekend of shopping."