Holiday songs are already ringing over store’s stereo speakers as retailers brace for the annual onslaught of Christmas shoppers.
Today is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the season and the action starts early.
Hartnagel Building Supply, Wal-Mart, both in Port Angeles, Big 5 sporting goods in Carlsborg, JC Penney and Staples, both in Sequim will open their doors at 6 a.m. today. Swain’s stores in Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend open an hour later as does the Gottschalk’s store in Port Angeles.
Today might not be the start of holiday shopping for many North Olympic Peninsula residents.
“People are starting early, which is always a very good sign,” Cindy Ford, assistant manager of Cowboy Country Western Apparel and Tack in Port Angeles said Wednesday.
And shoppers seem more willing to spend money than last year, she said.
“Things have improved.”
Nationwide, consumer confidence is increasing as companies are beginning to rehire again after a two-year slump, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
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The rest of the story appears in the Friday/Saturday Peninsula Daily News.
