Ready, set...shop

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Nov 30, 2002 | by Cahalan, Steve

Christmas shopping in La Crosse and Onalaska on the day after Thanksgiving is a tradition for Clara Halama of Independence, Wis., and her daughters, Jane Crawford of Mondovi, Wis.; Janice Kwosek of Stillwater, Minn.; and Judy Powis of Whitehall, Wis.

They had plenty of company in local stores Friday, which marked the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season. Many people were waiting in line, with early-bird specials on their mind, when stores opened for the day.

But Halama and her three daughters didn't start shopping until about 9:30 a.m. After lunch at a La Crosse restaurant, they headed to Valley View Mall, where they finished their day of shopping about 4 p.m.

"We make lists on Thanksgiving Day and then go shopping the day after," Halama said, as she and two of her daughters rested at a bench. At a table after Thanksgiving dinner at her home "each of us writes a little list of what we could use," she said. "Then we draw names" to see who shops for whom.

"I like the spirit and the sharing of ideas," Kwosek said of shopping with her mother and two sisters. "It helps to share ideas. And usually there are good deals" in stores the day after Thanksgiving.

Crawford said she enjoys shopping the day after Thanksgiving because of all the sales.

At a nearby bench, Shed Holmes of Anoka, Minn., and Jim Theisen of Rockford, Ill., were taking a break while two of Theisen's sisters (including Holmes' wife) continued shopping.

"We're occupying the husbands' bench," Holmes said, laughing.

Family members traditionally shop in La Crosse the day after celebrating Thanksgiving at Theisen's mother's home in Arcadia, Wis. "It's a tradition that the ladies come to the mall to shop," Theisen said, adding that he bought a few things including a wooden sign for his campsite, a figurine for his wife and a dice game.

Holmes didn't plan to buy anything. "But my wife will," he joked. "If you use the word 'sale,' you'll get her."

The foursome began shopping about 1:30 p.m., but Theisen said he basically finishes his Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. "I like to avoid the crowds," he said. "And you have sales all the time anyway."

But Steven Gillitzer of Prairie du Chien, Wis., was only starting his Christmas shopping Friday. "Once Thanksgiving is over, it starts to feel like Christmas," he said, taking a break from shopping at the mall. "That's when I start to think about it."

Gillitzer and nine relatives took two cars to La Crosse to do Christmas shopping. They started at about 7 a.m., and Gillitzer expected to continue shopping until 5 or 6 p.m.

Doris Simonic of Winona, Minn., usually avoids Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving, but said she was at the La Crosse mall because her husband, Al, wanted to go.

"I avoid it because I don't like the hassle," she said. "But it hasn't been bad today."

"It's been steady busy" at the Marshall Field's department store at the mall, spokeswoman Heidi Weaver said late Friday afternoon. About 50 people were waiting in line outside the store when it opened at 7 a.m., she said.

Weaver said big holiday season sellers at the store included Christmas trim, coats and cold-weather accessories, Frango candy and Santabear collectibles.

"We've been very, very busy," said Yvonne Peterson, manager of the Target store in Onalaska. "This morning, we had a line that wrapped around the building before we opened the doors" at 7 a.m. "We probably had anywhere from 600 to 800 people (enter the store) in the first 10 to 15 minutes.

"It's been one of the busiest days (after Thanksgiving) that I've seen," Peterson said. Some of the big sellers Friday included the 20th anniversary edition of Trivial Pursuit, Bratz dolls, DVD players, video games and stereo systems.