Related articles:

Tucson shoppers flock to stores for Black Friday dealsHoliday shopping season off to a modest startStrapped retailers can't wait for Black Friday to save them

Other articles by Dale Quinn:

Ritz stays the course amid uncertaintyBBB warns of roofing scamsStimulus loans likely to go fastBar addressing 6 violationsPopular Tucson bar & grill fails health inspectionLocal price survey: Beer and wine2 area credit unions in mergerDesert Energy and Pima Federal credit unions merge Desert Energy and Pima Federal credit unions merge Deli facing intervention after failing 3 inspections

Finance and Accounting
Charles E. Gillman Company
Accounting Specialist Administrative & Professional
Jorgensen Brooks Group
Counselor Mechanical
Komatsu Equipment Co
Resident Field Mechanic Administrative & Professional
Tucson Urban League
CEO/President Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION Sales and Marketing
Everready Glass
Sales Reps

As shoppers prepare to crawl out of bed in the predawn hours Friday and head to stores for deep discounts, some Tucsonans have a different message: Buy local.

Known as "Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest shopping days of the year, when throngs of people line up outside stores in anticipation of extreme discounts.

In a different twist, the Tucson City Council recently proclaimed the day after Thanksgiving "Buy Local Day" to encourage consumers to spend money at locally owned businesses.

It may seem a daunting challenge to get shoppers to visit smaller, local stores when national retailers are shouting about unprecedented deals.

But Lisette DeMars, the general manager of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle's Toys, said consumers should be able to shell out money at local businesses as well as at big chains.

After all, she said, when shoppers spend money at local businesses, more of that cash stays in Tucson.

"We're not saying they can't get their big-box deals on Friday, but we're encouraging them to spend some of their Christmas dollars at local businesses and restaurants to help bolster our economy," she said.

"Black Friday" marks the point when some retailers hope to see profitability and go "into the black."

With the sluggish economy, some retailers began slashing prices as much as a week ago in an attempt to stimulate sales.

Whether retailers start turning a profit the day after Thanksgiving this year remains questionable.

"I don't think it's going to happen this Friday for most retailers," said Laraine Rodgers, an adjunct professor for the Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing at the University of Arizona. "I think their eye is on the end of the year."

While the day after Thanskgiving may be one of the busiest shopping days in terms of customer traffic, the Saturday before Christmas usually is the biggest in terms of sales, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.

It takes more than one day of good sales to get a retailer out of the red, Rodgers said. And while consumers have been holding on to their money more tightly, Rodgers said she still expected people to turn out for "Black Friday."

The National Retail Federation expects holiday shopping this year to increase 2.2 percent over last year.

It's not as much growth as most retailers would like to see, said federation spokeswoman Kathy Grannis. Even in these tough economic times, she didn't think people would skip out on Friday's deals.

"The thing about Black Friday is, it's been the day to get the best deals and retailers haven't disappointed," Grannis said.

But, Rodgers said, consumers shouldn't despair if they miss out on Friday's discounts — there'll be more.

Deals will likely continue through the holiday season, and consumers can always scour the Internet for the best price on that flat-screen TV or laptop computer, she said.