EARLY START TO HOLIDAY CHEER SANTA TO ARRIVE FOR VETERANS DAY.Byline: ALEX DOBUZINSKIS Staff Writer VALENCIA -- Forget about Black Friday Black Friday, Sept. 24, 1869, in U.S. history, day of financial panic. In 1869 a small group of American financial speculators, including Jay Gould and James Fisk, sought the support of federal officials of the Grant administration in a drive to corner the gold , the day-after-Thanksgiving blitz that in recent decades heralded the start of holiday shopping -- the day when retailers got out of red ink red ink Health administration A popular term for financial losses. Cf in the Black. and into the black. A competitive retail environment is pushing the start of the holiday shopping season still further back. At the Westfield Valencia Town Center Westfield Valencia Town Center, formerly Valencia Town Center, is a shopping mall in Valencia, California, owned by The Westfield Group. Its anchor stores are JCPenney, Macy's, and Sears. The Robinsons-May was renamed Macy's on September 9, 2006. , Santa Claus Santa Claus: see Nicholas, Saint. Santa Claus jolly, gift-giving figure who visits children on Christmas Eve. [Christian Tradition: NCE, 1937] See : Christmas Santa Claus will be coming to town on Veterans Day. The bearded man in red will make his appearance at the end of a family concert at the mall on Saturday, almost two weeks before Thanksgiving Day. ``Beat the crowds and get some early shopping done,'' said Jalina Warner, a spokeswoman for the Town Center. The mall kicked off its holiday shopping season in mid-November last year, too. Many retailers no longer wait until Black Friday to whet the holiday appetites of shoppers. ``You can go into a store and see both Halloween merchandise and Christmas merchandise,'' said Jack Kyser, chief economist with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. ``One of these days, we're going to see Christmas merchandise on the Fourth of July Fourth of July, Independence Day, or July Fourth, U.S. holiday, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Celebration of it began during the American Revolution. .'' Department stores and other traditional outlets have a less-dominant hold on the market. Internet merchants and more foreign-owned businesses are vying for U.S. customer dollars. ``You have new retailers, new concepts, and it just continues to be very, very competitive out there in the retail world,'' Kyser said. That makes for an early start to the holiday season. Some other Southern California malls already have started holiday activities to attract shoppers, Kyser said. A ``Radio Disney Jingle Jam'' concert Saturday at the West Valencia Town Center will usher in the mall's Week of Wonders promotion. Shoppers will make a $5 donation to a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. and get a wristband wristband An identifying bracelet attached to a Pt's wrist at the time of admission to a health care facility, which may be the only identifier used during a person's stay in a hospital that entitles them to discounts, special offers and prizes. ``I think most of the retail community is cautiously optimistic this year about the season,'' said Larry Mankin, executive director of the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. Chamber of Commerce. The local population keeps increasing, and so do income levels, while unemployment has remained low in the valley, he said. alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com (661) 257-5253 IF YOU GO A ``Radio Disney Jingle Jam'' concert will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Westfield Valencia Town Center. The Jonas Brothers, Nuttin' But Stringz Nuttin' But Stringz, also known as N.B.S., consists of two brothers, Damien (18) and Tourie Escobar (20). The talented young musicians from Jamaica, Queens play an intense blend of Classical Music, Jazz, R&B, and Hip-Hop. and the T-Squad will be featured in the family concert. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color -- ran in SAC edition only) A child looks at the Santa's Village under construction at the Westfield Valencia Town Center mall. Santa Claus will arrive this weekend as retailers hope to capitalize on a longer shopping season. David Crane/Staff Photographer Box: (ran in SAC edition only) IF YOU GO (see text) |
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