Northwest Arkansas Shoppers Seek Post-Holiday Deals

SHOPPING WISH 
While his wife and daughter shop, Rago Sanchez of Rogers and his son, Giovanni, 3, make a wish at a fountain on Thursday Dec. 26 2013 at Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers.
SHOPPING WISH While his wife and daughter shop, Rago Sanchez of Rogers and his son, Giovanni, 3, make a wish at a fountain on Thursday Dec. 26 2013 at Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers.

Shoppers armed with gift cards, items to exchange and lists of holiday decorations to buy for next year flocked to stores across Northwest Arkansas on Thursday.

Cara Noble of Cincinnati was looking for stocking stuffers for next year at Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers. She also had a few items to exchange and was headed to Cabela’s to pick up accessories for her husband’s new hunting bow.

At A Glance

Gift Cards

The National Retail Federation’s Gift Card Spending Survey reports people planning on buying gift cards would spend an average of $45 per card, up from $43 last year. Department stores at 40 percent and restaurants at 34 percent were the top choices for gift cards, and nearly one in five cards was for coffee. Electronics stores account for 20 percent of cards and 13 percent were for online merchants.

Source: National Retail Federation

“I shop every year on the day after Christmas and always seem to find good deals,” she said.

Accessories were a hot item at Best Buy in Rogers. Ashley Rash, visiting from Brazil, was looking for an Apple iPad case. She was visiting family in the area.

“I usually like to get out and shop because you never know what you will find,” she said.

Across the store, Lindsay Davis of Rogers stood in line to exchange an Apple iPod Touch. She said Santa didn’t bring one with a camera like her son requested.

“I told him Best Buy keeps extra iPods on hand for Santa,” she said.

Best Buy was the only stop for Davis who said emphatically she hates shopping any day of the year much less on a busy day such as the day after Christmas.

Casey White said she was only making one shopping stop Thursday. She was using gift cards she received as a gift to buy Christmas decorations at Target in Fayetteville. The Kansas City, Mo., woman was in the area visiting family.

“I really wanted some different colored ornaments and held out until after Christmas,” she said.

Anthony Cooper, logistics manager at Fayetteville's Target, said sales on holiday items were a big draw Thursday. He said between 60 and 70 people were waiting at the door when the store opened at 7 a.m.

“Every register is being used, and we have extra staffing at the front end to help with returns and checking,” he said.

Cooper said most of the seasonal items on sale would be sold by the end of today.

He added gift cards were a big seller this year.

The National Retail Federation predicted eight in 10 shoppers would buy a gift card this year and sales would reach a record high at $29.8 billion.

“Shoppers today recognize gift cards as the perfect foolproof option for friends and family,” said Matthew Shay, president and chief executive officer of the National Retail Federation.

Jennifer Roman, store manager at JCPenney in Fayetteville, said holiday gift card specials helped the retailer increase card sales. She said anyone who bought a $100 gift card received a $25 off coupon on a purchase of $25 or more.

“People are coming in to spend those gift cards while we have the after-Christmas sales,” she said.

JCPenney also distributed a coupon in the newspaper for $10 off purchases of $25 or more that's good through Saturday.

“I think this weekend could possibly be even busier since a lot of people had to go back to work (Thursday),” she said.

Sarah McKinney, Walmart spokeswoman, echoed the day after Christmas is a big gift card redemption day.

“Shoppers are buying things they wanted as presents but didn’t get for Christmas,” she said. “Gift cards are one of the top gifts people receive.”

McKinney said Walmart has thousands of items on sale for 25 to 50 percent off.

Everything at Big Lots in Springdale is 50 percent off. The store will close for good by Jan. 15, said Ken Liberton, district manager. Greeting cards were 90 percent off.

Lynn Bratcher of Springdale was filling her cart at Big Lots with Christmas and household items.

She said she normally has to work Thursday and was taking advantage of having the day off. Bratcher said she wasn't shopping anywhere else Thursday.

“I shop here all the time, and it's close to my house,” she said.

Cars trickled into Signature Plaza in Siloam Springs early Thursday.

Del Lamphear, a Decatur resident, walked out of Stage about 10 a.m. after returning a pair of jeans he received for Christmas that didn’t fit right.

Lamphear said he wanted to return the jeans early the day after Christmas to “beat the crowds.” He expected more people would be out as the day went on.

“I’m done,” he said with a smile about stores he had to visit.

Inside, a couple customers browsed the clothing racks, but traffic was expected to pick up late morning, just before the lunch hour, said Nicole Peat, Stage store manager.

Peat has been with Stage about seven years and has been at the Siloam Springs store for about three and a half years.

The store typically sees people come in the day after Christmas to return or exchange items, use gift cards and take advantage of a new sale, which offers 50 to 60 percent off merchandise and an extra 20 percent off previously reduced clearance items.

“There’s a lot of bargains to be found,” she said.

Melissa Gute contributed to this report.

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