W-b Looks To Put Stop To Turning Homes To Apartments

2 First-timers Glitter In Run For Diamonds

By M. PAUL JACKSON Times Leader Staff Writer
 Saturday, November 27, 1999 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





WILKES-BARRE TWP. - It was 9 a.m. Friday, and already Annette MacNeal
looked doubtful as she rummaged through clothing racks with hordes of shoppers
seeking bargains in the Wyoming Valley Mall. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving known for bringing out thousands
of holiday shoppers - had come to the mall with a vengeance, and MacNeal was
just struggling to keep up. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ``The hardest part is just trying to decide what to buy,'' said the
34-year-old Hazleton woman. ``I have no idea.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 MacNeal was not alone in her search. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The annual holiday shopping spree caused confusion and frustration for more
than one consumer Friday. Many endured extra long lines and rude shoppers to
find the bargains they wanted. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And although shoppers said the crowds were smaller than they expected, few
seemed pleased. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Betty Gibbons, a Mountaintop resident, was one of many people who stood in
line to enter the Wal-Mart store in Wilkes-Barre Township early Friday
morning. Shoppers lined up outside the store which opened at 6 a.m. - and
Gibbons said not many were friendly. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Once inside, ``they just ran over you with their carts, Gibbons said. ``It
was terrible.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Still, Gibbons did not mind the crowds. ``The hardest part was getting up
at 4:30 in the morning. We do it every year, we love it.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Spurred by a healthy economy, holiday spending could reach about $183
billion this year - a 6.4 percent increase from 1998. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Much of the revenue for the holiday season begins on Black Friday, and
throughout the mall, consumers were racing to snatch up the first bargains. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 MacNeal, for example, did not normally shop on Black Friday, but decided to
give it a try anyway. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wandering alone through the aisles at J.C. Penney, she politely weaved
through babies in strollers, couples and a few laughing children, searching
for gifts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She came to shop for her family - including her young nieces and nephews -
but was a little overwhelmed with the activity, she said. She finally chose a
pink sweatsuit for her 1-year-old niece, but still had trouble shopping for
the rest of the family. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I don't even know what section to start in,'' she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Retailers generally stock their shelves based on what they anticipate
they'll need for the holidays to handle the expected crowds of people. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``It's quite a process; it doesn't just happen,'' said Marlene Pesta, a
senior merchandise manager for J.C. Penney. ``There's a science to it.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pesta expected consumers to shop throughout the day, with only a two-hour
slowdown period between 5 and 7 p.m. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``It's a game,'' she said. ``It's fun, it's a business.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And for shoppers like Roxanne Blaum, it's work. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Blaum, a Wilkes-Barre resident, started her holiday shopping at about 6
a.m., she said. Four hours later, she had spent about $350 in toys for her
three daughters, and wasn't done yet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I just saw some toys (in Toys R Us) that were cheaper than toys in
K-Mart, so now I'm going to return them,'' she said. ``The hardest part is
hiding them.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This year is expected to be a change for many consumers. The growing use of
the Internet has convinced more shoppers to do their buying at home, experts
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 An estimated 10 percent of American shoppers are expected to shop online
this year, up from 5 percent last year, according to the National Retailers
Federation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 About 80 percent of the nation's consumers are expected to shop at discount
department stores this year - as opposed to about 60 percent in 1996. And 42
percent are expected to place their orders through mail order catalogs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But while more people are expected to buy this holiday season, not everyone
was happy with the day. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Geralyn Quigley, a Huntington Mills resident, said she came out with her
10-year-old son, Chauncey, simply to experience Black Friday. She was not
pleased by what she found. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 After spending two hours in line at the KB Toys &amp; Hobby Shop, Quigley had
enough of the Friday excursion. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Black Friday ``robs the spirit of the holidays,'' she said. ``It's all
promotions and money. You lose the magic of Christmas.''

``the Hardest Part Is Just Trying To Decide What To Buy.'' Ready, Set, Go Shopping Frazzled Bargain Hunters Get Their Fill Of Black Friday