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Lake Zurich businesses report strong holiday sales
A line of shoppers wraps around the Kohl's store in Lake Zurich on Black Friday. | Michelle LaVigne ~ Sun-Times Media
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Updated: November 30, 2012 8:14AM
LAKE ZURICH — Holiday shoppers in Lake Zurich came out in droves on a cold, windy Black Friday to take advantage of limited-time deals.
At the Kohl’s on Rand Road, a line stretched across the store late Friday morning, with shoppers waiting among colorful displays of toys, clothing, candles and other gifts.
Customers could be heard talking about the length of the line; however, most shoppers found the deals worth the wait.
“I’ve never seen the lines so long in this store,” said Lake Zurich resident Mark Hutton, who was shopping with his wife, Cathy.
Both agreed that Kohl’s deals were too good to pass up.
Cathy Hutton clutched a $10 Kohl’s gift card that expired at 1 p.m. Friday. As the clock ticked toward noon, she joked that the card may not be usable when she got to the front of the line.
Barrington resident Janet Faulkner was browsing through Kohl’s selection of Christmas-themed placemats and napkins.
She was among several shoppers Friday who said she would be spending less on gifts this year than last year. Even with a budget, she said she avoided the late night door busting.
“I’m not someone who gets up at 4 a.m.,” she said. “But they are offering great deals, so it’s worth coming out.”
Down the road, at the GameStop on Route 22, holiday shoppers packed the small space Friday. Many took advantage of the store’s “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” deal.
Barrington resident Dan Magee said the deal allowed him to add to his own game collection while also buying some games as gifts. Magee also said he doesn’t intend to spend as much this year compared with last year.
Janice Bruksch, a Barrington resident who also was shopping at the GameStop in Lake Zurich, said her family typically doesn’t shop on what has become known as the busiest shopping day of the year.
“We’re not really Black Friday shoppers,” she said. “We’re here because the Xbox is broken.”
When asked about spending this year, Bruksch said she would probably spend the same.
Traffic along Rand Road was heavy Friday morning as many shoppers also flocked to the Deer Park Town Center, which features 79 storefronts including popular stores like Apple Store, Pottery Barn, Pier 1 Imports and Williams-Sonoma.
After the Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday and Cyber Monday deals passed, Dale Perrin, executive director for the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce, said many businesses in the Lake Zurich area reported strong starts to the holiday shopping season.
He said Timothy Grant Jewelry on Rand Road and Brilliant Sky Toys in Deer Park Town Center both saw their weekend sales match receipts from last year, when both businesses experienced a slight boost at the start of the holiday season.
Perrin said Brooks Brothers, also in Deer Park, reported a very successful weekend.
“They said they had a fantastic Friday and Saturday,” Perrin said. “They said it was off the charts. But they said Sunday was a ghost town. I guess everyone was shopped out by then.”
On the Monday, Rick Petrocelly, owner of The Olive Tap specialty shop in Long Grove, said his business nearly reached three times its normal sales on a Monday.
“It’s gotten bigger every year,” Petrocelly said. “This was the biggest we’ve ever done.”
