Utah shoppers hit stores

Last year's "Black Friday," the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, was black and blue for Taylorsville teen Aubry Hock.

"I got beat up!" Hock laughed, her smile warming the icy morning. Grimacing good naturedly, she recounted the abuses she endured when the crowd rushed through the just-opened doors of another discount store this time last year.

"I finally had to elbow some woman. She kicked me through the door! I had bruises. Not little ones, either. Big, apple-sized bruises."

On Friday, Hock and her mother, Jeanette Hock, chatted amiably with fellow "crazy people" at 4:35 a.m. at ShopKo, 5800 S. Redwood Road. What began as a small group of ultra-die-hards grew to several hundred by the time the store's doors opened at 5 a.m. for "Black Friday" — a pivotal day that helps shift retailers' accounts into the black instead of red ink.

"Anyone here this year has to have some sense of adventure," Jeanette Hock said. "A bunch of crazy people."

All along the Wasatch Front on Friday, crowds gathered in the small hours at big box discount stores like ShopKo, Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and Circuit City in search of special sales on everything from socks to home electronics. While most retailers open early on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the discount stores were first out of the gate — ShopKo and Fred Meyer led the way, opening their doors at 5 a.m. Target, Wal-Mart, Circuit City and others followed, the bulk of them opening at 6 a.m.

Shoppers began testing analysts' predictions for holiday retail sales: The International Council of Shopping Centers forecast a 4 percent bump in holiday retail shopping. Similarly, the Washington-based National Retail Federation projects total holiday sales to be up 5.7 percent to $217.4 billion from last year. That compares with a modest 2.2 percent increase in 2002.

The Hocks, who were among the first 10 people at the Taylorsville ShopKo, took their place in line at 3 a.m. About the same time, four teenage girls rolled out sleeping bags and blankets at a Target store just down the road.

"We have a whole list," said 16-year-old Mindy Leavitt, who huddled in a sleeping bag next to friends Kylee Tramel, Jessica Johnson and Jenny Eriksson. Leavitt's list included digital cameras, hats and Nintendo games. Ditto Tramel and Eriksson but not Johnson.

"I don't have a list," Johnson bubbled enthusiastically. "I just came to be with them. It's fun. I haven't been to bed yet, and I'm not even tired."

Laurel Curvin, third in line at Circuit City, 5516 S. Redwood Road, said she and her family have made Black Friday a family tradition.

"I've been doing this for as long as I can remember," Curvin said. "I've got family stationed across the city at various stores. Cousins. My boyfriend. We have two at ShopKo.

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