HOLIDAY BUSINESS Nonstop shopping leads to Christmas

A number of area shops opened their door before sunrise.
BOARDMAN -- Why leave a nice, warm bed on a frosty morning to go shopping?
Hundreds of people did just that Saturday morning -- some to start their holiday shopping, some to finish it up, others to pick up an emergency gift, and a few just to get into the Christmas spirit.
"We're last-minute this year," said Scott Pettak of Niles, who with his wife, Mary, were part of the 8 a.m. crowd at Toys "R" Us in Boardman. "We knew it was going to be busy. We've bought more little things than big things but we've spent about the same as last year. We've got four kids, so it's not cheap."
The Pettaks started the day early, with a 6 a.m. visit to Wal-Mart.
Lisa Bezon started early, too. She and her mother, Joyce Brooks, both of Salem, got a great parking place at Southern Park Mall, but they weren't lured in by bargains.
"My sons have ballgames later today," said Bezon, who was picking up a few last-minute gifts for friends. "This is great -- I breezed right in, and I've got the rest of the day to do other things."
Opened before sunrise
A number of area shops opened their door before sunrise, and while the stores weren't packed, a steady stream of Christmas shoppers found those early hours convenient.
"My normal workday begins at 5 a.m.," said Tom Kidd of Boardman. "And my wife was up at 6 this morning, so they're open at the right time today."
Kidd, who was browsing in the jewelry department at Kohl's, said he's normally not much of a shopper. "My wife gives me a list of three things, and I go get them. She never gives me sizes, so it can get exciting."
Most local retailers were reluctant to give specifics on store traffic and how extended hours are affecting sales, but Mark Richmond, manager of Dick's Sporting Goods in Boardman, said the earlier opening was good for his employees.
"It seems to give us a good opportunity to get ready for opening and to close the store in good order," Richmond said. At Dick's, electronic scooters were the hottest item, along with exercise equipment and "anything with Steelers on it."
Outnumbered shoppers
Around 7:15 a.m., Kaufmann's employees seemed to far outnumber the shoppers. Aside from a man at the jewelry counter, the early shoppers were mostly female.
Sisters Mary Jo Judy of Austintown and Jeannie Bindas of Mineral Ridge popped in for some quick gift-buying; their father is in the hospital, so early-morning shopping allows them to spend more time at the hospital.
"I'm usually done by now," said Judy, as she browsed through a rack of hooded sweatshirts. "This year has really been different."
Others were mostly finished with their shopping, but had special reasons for making one more trip.
"I've done most of my shopping, but I have to leave for New York in three hours and I'm buying a gift for a friend there," said Andy Petiya of Boardman, looking through sweaters at Kohl's.
Shopped online
Renee Bero of New Middletown said she was looking for something for her husband to wear to a Christmas party at work, but that she had done most of her shopping online.
"It was pretty easy," she said. "With a lot of the stores, you can order online and pick it up at the store."
And an Austintown woman was shopping at Target for someone who won't be able to open the gift on Christmas morning. She's expecting to give birth to a baby boy in about three weeks.
"I know he doesn't know," said Dawn DeDonato, shopping for toys with friend Candi Helsel-Thomas. "But I wanted him to have something under the tree."