As the holiday season approaches, retailers at Champlain Centre are hoping shoppers will continue to participate in a traditional hallmark: Black Friday.

The day's shine has been tarnished in recent years, for reasons ranging from the poor economy and to competition from online sales. But that doesn't stop local big-box stores from making attempts to bring back the sparkle.

Some retailers are using their Web sites to not only advertise what's on sale, but where to find the items in the store. Starting today, a store map on Best Buy's Web site will highlight where the bargains will be, which should make it easier for early bird shoppers, said Ryan Drollette, operations manager for the Plattsburgh store.

Excitement is building as to what the bargains are going to be. Hundreds of sales previews, from Target to Best Buy, have been "leaked" on deal sites, such as http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com, leading to increased curiosity about the actual promotions.

Mystery sales
The Internet intrigue has led to many zipped lips, too. Scott Rasnake, store manager at JC Penney, wouldn't speak specifically about what will be discounted, but for super-early birds, the store will be open at 4 a.m. and will give away Disney-themed snow globes for the first 500 customers.

Typically, the department store sells a lot of the "cold weather" necessities for the holidays: coats, sweaters, flannel sheets, electric blankets, Rasnake said, as well as housewares such as the company's Cooks line.

Employees at Dick's Sporting Goods have been busy preparing and getting inventory ready for the big day, said Store Manager Greg Mills. While Mills was also tight-lipped about what to expect, the key categories driving sales are table games, outerwear, footwear, exercise and outdoor gear, he said.

Speaking of the outdoors, navigation systems such as GPS systems are going to be even bigger this year, said Drollette at Best Buy. Store managers also anticipate computers and high-definition televisions to be big sellers.

After opening shortly before last year's holiday season, Target is ready to close its first full year at Champlain Centre with a bang. Of the full range of offerings, toys and electronics are expected to be big, said J. McKinney, one of the store's team leaders. Zhu-Zhu Pets and gaming systems are leading those categories, he said.

For video games, the new Call of Duty, Modern Warfare II and the popular Rock Band series are standouts. For gaming systems, overall price cuts and fierce competition among the three major makers have made them all more affordable. And unlike recent years when Wii and Nintendo DS systems sold out or were hard to find, shoppers should find all systems readily available, said McKinney.

Will they come?
Even with all the deals — some deeply discounted — many shoppers have turned away from Black Friday. Of mall shoppers surveyed randomly one day last week, many said they would be staying away, citing a dislike of crowds or saying that the sales aren't as great as they are made out to be.

Frugally minded buyers take advantage of sales early on, and those like Laurianne Rock are basically done holiday shopping. She credited a program through her employer, CVPH, as offering a "Christmas Club" through the credit union. Rock has a small amount deducted from her paycheck year-round and is issued that money as a lump sum in the fall to use for holiday shopping.

The poor economy is causing some consumers to cut back.

"Most families are downplaying materialism," said Tammy Ashline of Dannemora, who was browsing at Borders. "This is not the best time," she said, citing the recent announcement that Pfizer will be closing its North Country offices. She will be at the mall on Black Friday, volunteering for the Festival of Trees, a fundraiser held by the Advocacy and Resource Center that runs through Nov. 28 at the mall.

Holiday events, decorating and a chance to visit with Santa are some of the ways the mall tries to generate excitement during the holiday season, said Joan LaPier, marketing director for Champlain Centre. To help build anticipation, many retailers, such as Sears and Best Buy, have been offering smaller-scale sales in the weeks leading up to Black Friday.

Another sign of the season: The appearance of additional mall kiosks, such as calendar stands and Avon counters. Hickory Farms opened a few weeks ago and stays though the first week of January.

Karen Bonhomme, whose father, Steve, manages the Hickory Farms kiosk, splits her time working there and her job at Target. So does her co-worker, Louis Rollier, who works at American Eagle Outfitter. Both say their jobs at Hickory Farms will help them pay for Christmas gifts. Both are curious to see what the Black Friday turnout will be like this year.

Bonhomme will be reporting for duty at Target starting at 4:30 a.m. Friday. She predicts that many people are spreading their shopping out, so that the traditional rush for bargains isn't as big as it used to be.

Rollier agreed, saying that many of the shoppers will be looking for big-ticket items, such as TVs or other electronics. People who are curbing their spending aren't as willing to come out that day, he said. "They don't want to deal with the hassle."

No matter what the turnout, the payoff can be big, said Bonhomme. "We call it 'Green Friday.'"