Black Friday shopping expected to break record as new Chattanooga stores drive local traffic

Shelia Wyatt said Tuesday at Hamilton Place mall in Chattanooga that she hadn’t worked on her holiday shopping list yet but may start this Black Friday weekend, adding that she’s waiting to see if her family draws names on who buys presents for whom.

“I love it, getting in crowds. My husband doesn’t like it,” the Cleveland woman quipped in an interview.

Holiday spending is expected to hit a new record this year, despite early shopping, with the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday still driving some stores’ busiest times, experts said.

The National Retail Federation predicts holiday spending will grow between 3% and 4%, totaling $957.3 billion to $966.6 billion. This year’s spending is consistent with the average annual holiday increase of 3.6% from 2010 to 2019, according to the retail group.

(READ MORE: See Black Friday shopping in 2022)

New retailers locally such as Nordstrom Rack and J. Crew Factory will help spur traffic as well as added stores at Hamilton Place mall, said Stephen Lebovitz, chief executive of Chattanooga-based shopping center owner and operator CBL Properties.

“We’re optimistic,” he said in a phone interview. “This year has been better than expected throughout the year. We feel like it will continue during the holiday season.”

In the aftermath of the pandemic, Lebovitz said retailers are back to a more normal operating environment this year compared to 2022.

“It’s pretty typical,” he said. “There was a push a few years ago to move up shopping into early November, and a lot of retailers started Black Friday sales and made it a week. That trend has stuck.”

But Lebovitz said in terms of traffic at stores, it’s still geared from Black Friday through Christmas.

Hamilton Place mall and Northgate Mall in Chattanooga and other CBL centers across the nation will be closed again on Thanksgiving Day, Lebovitz said.

“We’ll continue to do that,” he said.

Mall hours

Hamilton Place mall opens at 7 a.m. Black Friday and closes at 9 p.m. At Northgate Mall, the center is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Randi Sanborn, store manager at The Yankee Candle Co. store at Hamilton Place, said in an interview she’s hopeful of a robust Black Friday weekend, noting it has a strong customer base.

At the same time, the store is offering deals such as 40% to 50% discounts on some merchandise, she said.

Bass Pro Shops, with a store in East Ridge, is offering some of its biggest deals on merchandise such as Johnny Morris signature platinum baitcast and spinning reels and Moultrie Mobile Edge cellular trail cameras, said Kaylee Schreiner, a spokesperson for the retailer.

She also said in a phone interview Bass Pro thermals, trucker hats and flannel shirts are among the best deals.

According to Reuters, iPhones are expected as a hot item again with the launch recently of the iPhone 15. In addition, electronics are seen as a top pick during holiday shopping with estimates of 6% growth, a Mastercard report predicted.

Online and other nonstore sales are expected to increase between 7% and 9% to a total of between $273.7 billion and $278.8 billion, up from $255.8 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Inflation impact

The group said a large part of why shopping is starting earlier is because consumers are spreading out their buying to cover the costs that come with the holiday season.

(READ MORE: Inflation hovers over shoppers)

But, the federation said, shopping earlier doesn’t necessarily mean crossing everything off the list as consumers still hit the stores well into the holiday season last year. As of early December last year, consumers only had 53% of their shopping done on average, the group said.

Lebovitz said while inflation has settled down, prices are still higher.

“But we’re not seeing further increases,” he said. “That’s a real positive as people are able to afford to be generous with holiday shopping.”

Bassam Issa, a Chattanooga developer of retail centers and restaurants, said he’s expecting holiday shopping to be at least as good as last year and possibly better. Many people are working as unemployment remains low and inflation was worse a year ago, he said by phone.

While restaurant sales are higher, he said, eateries generally are seeing stable profits compared to last year.

Aviel and Cherry Ramkissoon said at Hamilton Place mall Tuesday they recently arrived from Trinidad for a visit and this is their first Thanksgiving in Chattanooga.

As to tackling Black Friday shopping, she said in an interview she has heard about how people often rush around.

“I’m not into crowds too much,” the woman added.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.