Shoppers Off and Running

For Karen Lorenze, holiday shopping Friday was no spur of the moment thing.

The previous day, the Simi Valley woman and four shopping-spree mates had pored over pages of newspaper ads, selecting their favorite items and plotting the day’s itinerary.

“We were up at 5 a.m.,” Lorenze said. An hour later, the group had converged on the local K mart.

By 10:30 a.m, they were at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, laden with shopping bags from J.C. Penney, Macy’s and the Disney and Warner Bros. stores and ready for a break--drinks at El Torito.

“Then we’ll probably hit some more stores in Simi Valley,” Lorenze said. “We hope to be back home by 2 and in bed by 7.”

While few were as diligent as the Simi Valley quintet, thousands of eager shoppers throughout Ventura County flocked to shopping malls and outlet centers early to beat the holiday rush on what is typically the busiest shopping day of the year.

Exact holiday sales figures won’t be known until next month, but many retailers said that with the recent upturn in the economy, they expect a strong season.

“It’s pretty good. We’re busy,” said Diane Brandes, director of marketing at The Oaks, where the parking lot had filled up by midday. “I’ve been talking to merchants who are saying they are having a good day.”

An estimated 120,000 shoppers, about 5,000 more than in 1995, were expected to visit the county’s largest shopping mall from Friday through Sunday, Brandes said. And the holiday shopping season this year began early, she said.

“The last two weeks have been very busy, too,” Brandes said. “I think people were getting a heads up because [this year] there is a shorter time span between Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

But although a steady stream of holiday shoppers meandered through the Buenaventura Mall in Ventura, store owners said sales were down.

“I am seeing a lot of people, I am not seeing a lot of them buying anything,” said Mark Heistad, owner of Animal Kingdom, which specializes in stuffed animals and other toys.

“Sales are down about 30% from last year at this point,” Heistad said, watching shoppers browse through a row of about 101 furry Dalmatian slippers. “I had expected them to be gone by now.”

With a $50-million expansion project for the Buenaventura Mall on hold because of pending litigation, many store owners relocated months before the holiday shopping season started.

A few merchants have moved in temporarily on month-to-month leases, but more than half a dozen stores remain vacant as a result of the stalled expansion.

“I definitely think it has an impact on sales,” Heistad said.

Elsewhere in Ventura, sales were brisk. Lured by an early-bird promotion, a line of 20 to 30 people formed outside Toys “R” Us before the Johnson Drive store opened at 7 a.m.

Wandering aisles stocked with video games and three-eyed talking alien dolls, Cathy Garnica of Fillmore filled her shopping cart with Christmas gifts.

“I’ve got five kids I’m shopping for,” she said. “I’ve just barely cracked the surface of what they want.”

Among the items on her list this year: a Barbie doll, sleeping bags and various crafts and toys.

In Camarillo, hundreds of shoppers fought for parking spots, and crowded walkways at the mushrooming factory outlet center, which recently added 18 stores.

“I opened this morning at 7 a.m.,” said Lindsey Abbott, an assistant manager at Le Gourmet Chef. “It’s been really busy.”

In her store alone, lines of customers wrapped around the aisles of cookware and espresso machines. Garlic peelers and kitchen appliances topped the list of best-selling items.

“It seems a lot busier this year,” Abbott said. “Our sales are higher.”

Adrienne and Mel Stearn of Ventura were part of the throng at the Camarillo outlet. Both retired, the Stearns said they expect to be a little more free-spending this holiday season as a result of an improving economy, which boosted their stocks and provided some additional shopping funds.

“I think this year we will go a little more all out than we usually do,” Adrienne Stearn said.

At The Oaks, shoppers were treated to music by the Thousand Oaks High School band, which ushered them around a 30-foot-tall Christmas tree, while children posed for photographs on Santa Claus’ lap.

“It’s fun,” said Barbara Hayes of Agoura Hills, who began her shopping at 8:30 a.m. “The hardest thing is parking. That’s why I came early.”

And Hayes said she chose The Oaks over San Fernando Valley shopping centers because it is typically less crowded.

“Prices are a little inflated when compared to last year,” Hayes said. “But not by a lot. If you look in the right places you can find sales. With three kids, I have to look [for sales].”

For Lorenze and her semiprofessional Simi Valley shopping buddies, holiday buying was not going to end this weekend.

“We’ll be back the day after Christmas looking for sales,” Lorenze said. “Our husbands will stand on line [at the cash registers], while we get the merchandise.”

Tracy Wilson is a Times staff writer and Miguel Helft is a correspondent.