What’s Hot for the Holidays

What’s HOT in Harrisburg for the Holidays
By Frank Pizzoli

It’s that time of year again. You’ve barely digested your Thanksgiving turkey, you haven’t even got all the leftovers in the fridge, and you’re expected to pull on your figurative Santa hat and hit the stores.
Black Friday typically means the beginning of the holiday shopping season for consumers and retailers alike, but according to Chad Stafford, Harrisburg Wal-Mart manager, a growing trend makes the normally demanding season even more challenging for retailers. He says, "More shoppers each year begin holiday buying earlier. Black Friday is still the kickoff, but for some not the first seasonal buying trip."
Boscov’s Al Frerotte also cites the move to early bird shopping, "By the first week of November, our Camp Hill and Colonial Park Boscov’s have doubled their daily business." By mid-December, the stores’ business doubles again.
With several consecutive business quarters racking up growth and regional unemployment below national and state levels, "Retailers are looking forward to a good year," says Brian A. Rider, president of the Pennsylvania Retailers Association.
Tired feet, no parking, and long lines aside, the shopping season is upon us, and it’s time to hone up on what’s hot.
For kids and collectors, Penn State Barbie is the red-hot item this holiday season, according to Greg Fessler, Summerdale Plaza Kmart manager. Barbie shows her Penn State pride by donning a blue and white cheerleader outfit, complete with pom-pons. Frerotte, of Boscov’s agrees, adding, "anything with Penn State on it" is expected to move fast. "We have a great silver-colored casting of the Penn State Lion, about three feet long and one foot high. We won’t be able to keep enough of them in the store," he says.
Riding on the coat-tails of last year’s Tickle Me Elmo craze, comes Holiday Elmo, offered exclusively through Kmart, and it’s sure to be a holiday favorite.
Cartoon-driven character Rug Rat is also expected to fly out of the kid’s aisle this year says Stafford, and Barney is expected to be big again. As for adults, Stafford says that traditionally bake ware and electronics, especially TVs and VCRs, make for solid sales during the holiday shopping season.
Frerotte brings up an interesting point; besides Father’s Day, Christmas is the one time of year that dad is shopped for by the family. "Men’s apparel, especially gifts for dad, account for about 16 percent of our holiday sales," he says. Other expected gift-giving favorites include Virtual Pets, and Elton John’s "Candle in the Wind" is still burning brightly on Boscov registers. Exercise equipment is strong all year long, and if a special item pops up in the next couple of weeks, shoppers add it to their holiday list.
On the apparel side of retail, shoppers can look for bargains closer to Christmas.
"I’m sure customers will see great bargains," predicts Harrisburg East Mall Penney’s manager Barbara Vasilik. "We’re going to move merchandise out of here fast throughout the shopping season and especially during the three weeks prior to Christmas. It’s gangbusters around here the last three weeks with quality products offered at bargain prices."
If your shopping list has "big toys" on it, the kind that come in huge boxes that must be hidden at Grandma’s ’til Christmas, then Family Dollar Stores, New Cumberland, is your destination. "We move a lot of larger, boxed toys, ready to carry out in their packaging," assistant manager Jeff Shumaker says. Toys of all types don’t stay long on his shelves during the Christmas season.
African-American Customs
Nubian Village in the African-American Marketplace, located in Harrisburg’s Kline Village, expects a good holiday season, President Dave Waters says. "This will be our third holiday season, and we’re packed with African-American specialty items."
Custom-made ethnic clothing is available to holiday shoppers as they prepare for Kwanzaa, the African holiday ceremony and celebration. "Tradition tells us that books are an appropriate item for Kwanzaa gift giving. We emphasize learning at this time of year in our giving and in the ceremony itself," Waters explains.
Books & CDs
Encore Books & Music manager David Boice picks Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen of Demi Moore fame. Her movie Striptease is based on his work. "Lucky You is a humorous detective tale with a political corruption twist," he says.
For children, he recommends Beauty of the Beast, a collection of poetry and prose by Jack Prelutsky.
In the music department, Boice awaits the release of three new CDs - something for each generation of musical tastes - by Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, and Barbara Streisand. "We’ll have book and music selections for all ages," promises Boice.
A bevy of best-selling authors queue up to bookstores with holiday releases, Camp Hill Shopping Mall’s B. Dalton assistant manager Brandy Jay says. Anne Rice bites into new territory with Violin, while Timequake gets a roll out from counter-culture guru Kurt Vonnegut.
For book-to-movie readers, Kiss the Girls author James Patterson opens his holiday with a new release Cat & Mouse.
Radio’s Dr. Laura Schlessinger follows her admonitions to women in a similar title with 10 Stupid Things Men Do to Mess up Their Lives. (Personally, I’m waiting for 10 Stupid Things Dr. Schlessinger Said on the Radio.)
Mary Roth, Strawberry Square manager, has a lot of green to add to the downtown mall’s red logo. "Jason the robot will be out and about during the shopping season," she says. A children-friendly attraction, Jason will assist with lunchtime festivities scheduled for the holidays.
Two new retailers join downtown merchants in time for seasonal shopping. For the ladies, Deborah’s will offer any item associated with the Victorian Era - clothing, bath & scents, and art. Rae’s Tobacco Shop will feature classy walk-in humidors along its walls and a leather accented smoking lounge for try outs and relaxing.
"Look for the Strawberry Square Christmas Float in this year’s Harrisburg Holiday Parade," Roth reminds, adding that the float will be reassembled on City Island as part of the Winterfest Pavilion.