‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring … because everyone was at the mall.
Increasingly, consumers are pulling into parking lots after 10 p.m. to start shopping. Whatever the reason–shoppers working longer hours, a desire to shop after children are asleep or fear of crowds–retailers are waiting for them.
In a bid to woo those who might otherwise buy via the Internet, stores opened earlier than ever on the day after Thanksgiving. Now, as the holiday shopping season reaches its crescendo, stores are staying open later.
This week, 11 p.m. closings seemed more the rule than the exception, and a few merchants, like Kohl’s and Toys “R” Us, are open until midnight. With 7 days to go before Christmas Eve, when stores generally close by 6 p.m., shoppers can expect more late-night hours, longer lines at the register and more promotions aimed specifically at them.
For instance, J.C. Penney Co. will stay open until midnight Saturday, with some merchandise getting special discounts between 6 p.m. and midnight.
As they dug through their shopping cart inside Kohl’s North Side store Thursday night, cousins Karly Golobic and Sam Fisher were a little giddy.
It was after 11 p.m. and the two women had been Christmas shopping since noon. When stores along State Street started turning off their lights, they headed to Kohl’s.
“It starts out fun” until you start wondering when you’re going to eat, said Golobic, of Chicago.
“Probably you’re only going to do this once or twice [a season] but there are no lines,” added Fisher, who planned to drive back to her home in Palos Heights after her purchases were rung up. “I think it’s worth sacrificing the evening.”
Last year, Best Buy stores were open until 10 p.m. before Christmas, but this year the chain decided to test an 11 p.m. closing.
“We didn’t want to kick people out,” said spokeswoman Natalie Bushaw. “People told us they wanted more time to shop.”
At its Elston Avenue store late Thursday, Chicago residents Laura Vaughn and Louis Salas scoured the racks of compact discs as Vaughn clutched a wrinkled list with 23 names of family members.
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Vaughn, owner of a business in the Wabash Jeweler’s Mall, already had put in a 12-hour workday before she started shopping at 7 p.m.
“I told him I’m starving and I’m really crabby,” Vaughn said. “Let’s just get this done. When I shop earlier, I look for bargains. [Now] I’m just grabbing what I need. I think every year I wind up doing this.”
But for other shoppers, particularly those who like to keep late hours all year long, the expanded shopping opportunities give them a chance to browse at their own pace and seek bargains–by themselves.
“I’m a night owl and I don’t like dealing with a lot of people,” said Eleni Marks, of Chicago, as she leisurely strolled around Kohl’s at 11:30 p.m. “I don’t want the bustle of the season. I get that all day at work. I want the peace and quiet.”
Last year, Toys “R” Us extended its holiday shopping hours until midnight and decided to repeat the plan this year. One night this week, the North Side store on Western Avenue rang up a respectable 160 transactions between 9 p.m. and midnight, said spokeswoman Kelly Cullen.
Thursday night, however, only five shoppers milled about the store during its final open hour.
Shoppers not rushed
“Usually they throw you out before you get what you need,” said Mia Puente, a hospital receptionist and regular Toys “R” Us shopper who gets off work at 8:30 p.m., just 30 minutes before the store usually closes on Thursdays. “It’s more helpful to be able to take my time, check the prices and see what I need.”
Tony Cannon said he tucked his 4-year-old son in Thursday night, kissed his wife goodbye and went off in search of a kid’s desk set to put underneath the tree. He found one, but there was one thing he didn’t find: the masses.
“It’s much better shopping at night,” he said, gesturing to where checkout lines were present earlier in the evening but now only open aisles existed. “Now all I’ve got to do is go hide all this when I get home,” he said.
Workday goes later
The later closings are making for later nights for retail workers. Typically, there’s another hour or two of work to do once store doors are locked, to prepare for the next day.
At Best Buy’s Elston Avenue store, sales associate Laura Coffey started her day at 3 p.m. Thursday.
As the clock ticked toward the 11 p.m. closing, she estimated she would leave the store at 1 a.m. after helping to vacuum and restock shelves. Despite the long day, she couldn’t begrudge the handful of people still browsing late at night.