The approximately $350 million Liberty Center development held its grand opening in Liberty Twp. in October.
Shopping for mom at Liberty Center Friday was Kevin Kunz and his two sons Colin and Baron, of Liberty Twp. They planned to shop at Dick’s Sporting Goods and check out the restaurants, Kevin said.
“This was nice just being right down the street. We live less than five miles away,” he said.
William Lee and Christian Lin drove from Indianapolis to visit Cincinnati Premium Outlets in Monroe and Ikea in West Chester Twp. because the outlet center is probably the “biggest one around the area.”
“I have something in my mind but not a strict list,” Lee said.
After a crowd of about 700 shoppers helped open outdoor sporting goods store Cabela’s at 5 a.m. Friday, lines calmed down by about 8:30 a.m. to a steady trickle.
But the store, which opened this fall on Liberty Way in West Chester Twp., was expecting another rush around noon after late night shoppers had some rest, said Bonnie Bastian, store spokeswoman.
“This is kind of our second time around for the big lines” since opening, Bastian said. “The weather was great, which really helps a lot.”
“It’s about 8-8:30 in the morning, so it’s really the calm before the next storm,” she said.
A group of women from Florence, Ky., shopping together since about 11 p.m. Thursday with no stopping, made their final stop at Cabela’s Friday morning, looking for a gun to buy one of their husbands.
“This is our definite 24-hour girl time together,” said Melissa Carmichael.
One of the biggest shopping weekends of the year is expected to draw more consumers to either brick-and-mortar or virtual storefronts this year when compared to last, even though the overall holiday season outlook calls for more tepid sales growth, according to the National Retail Federation.
Retailers could attract about 135.8 million people with buying power or 58.7 percent of adult shoppers beginning on Thanksgiving Day and covering Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Sunday, according to the retail trade group.
During Thanksgiving weekend a year ago, an estimated 133.7 million holiday shoppers actually visited stores in-person or via the Web, according to the business group’s survey results.
However, by the time all receipts from November and December are counted, spending totals are expected to grow 3.7 percent across the U.S. to $630.5 billion. While still higher than 2014 results, cash registers — physical and virtual — are not forecast to match last holiday’s 4.1 percent sales growth.
Although, Ohio alone could see a more robust holiday season with sales predicted to rise 4.2 percent statewide and increase 5.6 percent in the Cincinnati region, according to University of Cincinnati's Economics Center.
“With this nice weather that we’re going to be having, we’ll probably be getting a lot of traffic based on my experiences at both properties,” said Jim Childress, property manager for Bridgewater Falls Lifestyle Shopping Center in Fairfield Twp. and Deerfield Towne Center.
The bulk of foot traffic is still expected Friday, but Bridgewater Falls saw a lot of Thanksgiving Day shoppers as more than a half dozen anchor stores such as Old Navy, JC Penney and Dick's Sporting Goods and some additional in-line stores open Thursday, Childress said.
Here’s a sample of holiday plans at Butler- and Warren County-area shopping centers:
• Deerfield Towne Center: Tenants have varying hours but several open Thursday. From 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, is a holiday light celebration during which time a 35-foot Christmas tree will be lit and there will be live entertainment, petting zoo, carriage rides and Santa. Children receive a free gift while supplies last, Childress said.
• Bridgewater Falls: Tenants also have various hours but at least six stores open Thursday. A Christmas tree lighting with live entertainment and other activities is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, Childress said.
• Liberty Center: Individual retailers have varying hours beginning with Old Navy at 4 p.m. Thursday. Brazilian steakhouse Rodizio Grill also opens at 11 a.m. Thursday for hungry shoppers, according to Liberty Center.
Keep up-to-date with opening hours at www.liberty-center.com. The approximately $350 million mixed office, retail and residential development located in Liberty Twp. on Liberty Way opened in October.
Anchor tenant Dick’s Sporting Goods opens at 6 p.m. Thursday until 2 a.m. Friday. Then, doors re-open again on Black Friday beginning at 5 a.m. until 10 p.m., according to the retailer.
On Thanksgiving and Black Friday, more than 200 Dick’s locations will offer the first 200 eligible customers each day a chance to win a $500 gift card. Customers will be given a code and the winner will be announced shortly after the store opens, according to the company.
These hours and giveaways are also true for Dick’s Sporting Goods stores at Bridgewater Falls and Deerfield Twp.
Dillard’s department store, another Liberty Center anchor, is closed Thanksgiving but opens from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, according to the Liberty Twp. store.
• Towne Mall Galleria: The Middletown mall on Towne Boulevard opens beginning at midnight Friday until 9 p.m. Friday; however, individual outside stores such as Elder-Beerman, Gabe's, Burlington and Sears will have separate hours, according to a security officer. An arts and craft show will take place on-site Friday and Saturday.
• The Streets of West Chester: Each store and restaurant will operate their own hours, said Property Manager Rex Horan. While several new retailers were announced for the location off Union Centre Boulevard, there are no new openings until spring next year. Construction is underway on Bagger Dave's Burger Tavern, Topgolf and Main Event Entertainment, Horan said.
• Tri-County Mall: Opens 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day until 1 a.m. Friday morning. Every 10 minutes is a $100 gift card giveaway between 8 p.m. and midnight Thursday with a grand prize Michael Kors handbag from Macy's, said Natalia Yaacob, marketing coordinator.
Mall anchors Macy’s and Sears open early Thursday at 6 p.m., Yaacob said.
Tri-County in Springdale opens again at 7 a.m. Friday until 10 p.m. Shoppers can enter a drawing for free again Friday for $150 gift card giveaways every 10 minutes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a grand prize necklace from Rogers Jewelers, she said.
• Cincinnati Premium Outlets: The Monroe shopping center opens 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving and remains open until 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27. A complimentary shuttle starts at 5 p.m. Thursday until 10 p.m. on Friday to pick up and drop off shoppers at Miami Valley Gaming off Ohio 63.
• Bass Pro Shops: The Fairfield store specializing in outdoor sports gear has Thanksgiving Day hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Black Friday hours of 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to spokeswoman Katie Mitchell. Santa's Wonderland is in full swing including free crafts, games and free photos with Santa for children set in a Christmas village, Mitchell said.
• Cabela's: The new West Chester Twp. store is closed Thanksgiving, then opens for shoppers at 5 a.m. Friday until 10 p.m. Friday. Local store events include more than $15,000 in giveaways, according to spokeswoman Bonnie Bastian.
The first 600 customers ages 18 and older in line will be eligible to receive a mystery envelope containing information about their gift. All gifts will be distributed randomly and could include one of five Winchester bolt-action rifle combos, gift cards and more. Firearm winners will be required to complete a standard federal background check to take ownership.
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